Show Me How To Live
by IwishEdwardwasreal
Summary: Adopted son Edward moves to Forks with Emmett and their friend Jasper. There he meets a sassy confident Bella who challenges his whole outlook on life. Can their love survive evil stepsisters and the crazy world that is high school?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok to all of you out there who have me on author alert, don't worry! I am still working on Time Could Cease To Exist. In fact I almost have the second half of the date scene from Edward's POV done. **

**But this story has been rolling around in my head and I know the only way I can get it out of there is to either write it or try to scrub it out of my brain with a QTip or something. I hesitate to do the latter since I might also wipe out the part of my brain that holds my phone number or the fact that I hate beets. And I would hate to eat a beet on accident without knowing that I think they are one of the most hurl-worthy foods out there. So I have no choice but to write this.**

**This story is AU/AH. I have never done an AH before but since I am in fact a human I think I have a pretty good grip on the fundamentals of what makes one tick. And Bella and Edward are going to be slightly OOC in that Bella is going to be a more confident (and dare I say snarky) version of herself. Edward will also retain his basic personality (though he will also be on the snarky side) but he is not as *ahem* sexually repressed as Edward is in the books. Okay okay! He is a typical horny dude! After all in my story he is a human seventeen year old boy! He is basically an erection with legs! But you know you can never get enough of sexy Edward can you, you pervs? Ha! I see you blushing! Yeah you know who you are. **

**Oh and to those who have sensitive ears (eh eyes?) and/or delicate sensibilities I have to put out a warning. There is a lot of cursing in this story. I mean **_**a lot**_**. Like an Oh-my-God-your-ears-are-burning-and-you-want-to-read-Dr.-Seuss-just-to-get-back-to-the-innocence-of-it-all amount of cursing. What can I say? They are modern high school students and they curse. You have been warned.**

**So I hope you like it and please any feedback would be appreciated.**

**Thanks and I hope you enjoy.**

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Bella's POV

Why was I doing this again? Why was I subjugating myself to this torture? Oh, right. I'm a peacekeeper. For some reason I could not fathom I felt the need to keep things on a smooth even keel around me. I could handle myself in a conflict but didn't try to seek them out and if one started I tried to resolve it the best I could. Did that make me a marshmallow? No, I have a backbone. So a marshmallow with a backbone? Is that like a marshmallow on a stick? Ooh, that reminds me of summer camp in seventh grade when we made s'mores and I tripped and almost landed in the campfire. Davie Dobbs saved me and we went steady for four whole days.

Wait, what the _hell_ am I talking about? Sometimes I have no rule over the wayward thoughts in my head. I guess that is why they are wayward isn't it. What was I talking about?

Oh yes. I was talking about why I suddenly find myself at Eclipse with two people I can hardly tolerate and who hate me with the pulsing white hot intensity of ten thousand suns.

I walked through the two sets of double doors, pushing hard against the second set. Why in the hell do they put two thousand pound doors on these places? If there was ever an emergency there would be a huge pileup at the door because no one could open it without a winch or something.

See what I mean about wayward thoughts?

I made it through the door and saw the retreating forms of the two people I supposedly came with.

I moved a little quicker to catch up with them, though still slow by regular human standards. Look, when you can trip on thin air you learn to move at a pace that keeps you from being a danger to yourself and those around you.

"Hey Jessica, Lauren! Wait a second!" I called out.

They turned to look at me with identical sneering expressions. It was funny actually that at that moment they looked like twins despite the fact that they could not look any less like each other.

Jessica was short, shorter even than my five foot four, but she made up for it with a mass of dark curly hair that somehow managed to defy both gravity _and_ frizz in the rainiest city in the continental US. She would even be considered pretty if she wore less makeup and kept the perpetual scowl off her face. Though she only really scowled in my direction. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was well on her way to a forehead full of wrinkles. Poor thing.

Lauren was completely opposite. She towered over me by at least five inches. She had very blond, very straight hair that went halfway down her back. She would also be considered a lot prettier, if she stopped getting "fake baked". I don't know what the obsession high school girls had with looking like Cheetos but most of the girls in my class went out and got faux tans. As it was, Lauren's "tan" clashed with her hair and instead of a healthy glow she looked almost radioactive.

"What do you_ want_, Bella?" Lauren asked in disgust. I opened my mouth to speak but Jessica cut me off.

"We told you not to speak to us once we left the house. Renee and Dad think that we are all hanging out together but you know better than to speak to us in public."

"Yeah yeah, whatever, I know. I just wanted to know if I had to find my own way back home. Last time you ditched me without telling me and I had to call a cab. _And _if you recall Mom and Charlie were pretty pissed about it." I said.

"Find your own way home, Swan." Lauren said scornfully. "I totally intend to find a totally hot guy and I will _not_ have you fucking it up for me. So in case you can't take a hint, FUCK OFF!" She yelled. The room got quiet for about the space of ten seconds then picked back up at a higher than usual intensity.

"Whatever." I shrugged. If either of them had ever acted any differently towards me I might have been offended or hurt. But this was them being almost nice in comparison to their normal behavior so it didn't bother me. Plus I had my question answered and that was what I really wanted in the first place.

They turned from me flipping their hair at the exact same time and went towards the back of the room.

Eclipse was a popular teen hang out in Forks. Well it was the only teen hang out in Forks. Well it was the only place to go in Forks if you were under 21 and didn't want to sit home doing nothing or take the hour drive to Port Angeles.

I think it might have been a bar at one time, mainly because there was a large twenty foot bar that curved in a semi circle in the middle of the room. Good guess huh? Behind the bar, instead of copious amounts of alcohol there was a large flat screen TV. When you walked in the door there were booths to the left and right and about fifteen tables set up in between. Up around the perimeter of the room, above the booths, there were several mounted televisions; most of them tuned to separate sporting events and a few were set on music videos. The sound was turned down on most of them and there was music playing. After eight the music turned to pop (which I was okay with) and rap (which I did not enjoy at all). If you walked past the bar on the left there was a largish room with about seven pool tables and a small seating area. On the right it was the same thing except at the back there was a ping pong table and an electronic dart board.

I made my way over to my normal table and picked up the menu. The food they served here was actually pretty good and I already knew what I wanted when the waitress came over to take my order.

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Edward's POV

Why was I here again? Why wasn't I at home playing Halo 3? Why was I asking myself questions I already knew the answer to?

I looked over at my brother Emmett and our friend Jasper Whitlock. They were sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the booth from me. I knew that they chose that side so they could watch the doors. They were on the lookout for hot girls. This was not a surprise to me since they were always on the lookout for hot girls when we went out. I was not sure if there actually were any here in this tiny town though.

We had all just moved here from Chicago. My adopted parents, Esme and Carlisle, had moved here when Carlisle had been offered the head of surgery job at the local hospital. Carlisle had received a hefty inheritance from his parents when they died and after working as Chief of Staff at Chicago General for ten years didn't need the money so he took a drastic cut in pay to move to this small town in the middle of nowhere. When I asked him why, he said that he wanted to really get to know his patients instead of only having five minutes of time with them before having to make the rest of his rounds. Carlisle was probably the most compassionate, caring man I had ever met and I knew that being a doctor and making a difference really meant a lot to him. He felt like in moving here he would finally be able to.

Carlisle and Esme had adopted me five years ago when I was twelve. My parents both died in a fire when I was nine and since I had no other relatives I was put into the foster system. Unfortunately some foster parents are not what they were cracked up to be and the last set that I had were indifferent to all of us, preferring to spend the money they received to pay for our care on drinking and drugs.

I had been outside playing ball with a few friends when the ball had rolled into the street. I had looked both ways before going out to get it but a car came barreling down the street and had clipped me before I could get out of the way, breaking my arm. My fosters were nowhere to be found and my neighbor had to take me to the hospital. Carlisle was working that night and when they informed him that there was a small boy who had no one with him and no way of contacting anyone, he had taken it upon himself to treat me personally.

He had asked me where my parents were and I told him they died and I lived with foster parents. When he asked where _they_ were I had just shrugged and told him they were more than likely at a bar. I can perfectly recall the look on his face when he heard _that. _His lips had tightened into a hard line and he had a dark scowl on his face. He set my arm and told me that I would have to stay for a while. Then he ruffled my hair and smiled at me. He told the nurse to get me something to eat and to drink and told me he would be back in a little while.

I was sitting there drinking some apple juice and watching television when I met _her_. People who have been in accidents (or who were on some sort of hallucinogenic drug) often said that they saw angels. I met one face to face.

A beautiful woman with hair the color of caramel and the most beautiful blue eyes came into to room with Carlisle. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to me. Then she shocked the hell out of me. She reached over and engulfed me in a warm hug. I was frozen for a moment before tentatively hugging her back. She responded by holding me tighter and petting the back of my head. I remember feeling more safe and secure and _loved_ than I had felt since my parents had died. She let me go and put her hands on the sides of my face and looked deep into my eyes and I knew that I had found _home._

Carlisle stepped up to us then and placed his hand on her shoulder, introducing her to me as Esme, his wife. He told me that the police had found my foster parents and that I would be removed from their home and they were not going to be allowed to be foster parents anymore because of neglect. I remember being terrified and relieved at the same time. I didn't like my fosters that much but what was I going to do now?

That is when Carlisle told me that they wanted to adopt me and asked if I want to be adopted by them? I think I lost the ability to speak for a full minute before I nodded my head. Who wouldn't want to be adopted by two angels?

Esme was overjoyed and Carlisle managed to use some of his clout to speed up the adoption process. I went to live with them and in a few months officially became their son. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.

Moving in with them is where I met Emmett and Jasper. Emmett was their son and accepted me immediately. He grew into a beast of a guy with dark curly hair and his mother's piercing blue eyes. On the outside he looked like he could snap you like a twig with his pinkie toe but on the inside he was a warm, caring, fun-loving guy. Jasper was his friend and so became my friend. Jasper's life at home was loving but not stable. His parents had three other children to care for and they left Jasper to his own devices most of the time. This meant he spent most of his time at the Cullen's. He even had his own bedroom and front door key.

When we decided to make the move to Forks, Carlisle and Esme had gotten permission to take him with us. His parents signed him over into their care gratefully. Don't get me wrong, Jasper's parents loved him dearly but they could not provide him with everything that he needed while still caring for the other children in the household. It was a relief and a torment for them to let him go.

Jasper was as opposite in appearance from Emmett as I was to Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was tall and lanky with a mop of blonde hair and hazel, almost golden eyes. I always felt calm around him. He exuded serenity. He was often quiet but his silent mouth hid a mind that was always busy. He was always thinking, calculating. He was probably the most insightful, honest person I had ever met and I often asked him for advice.

So here we were in what had been touted as a popular teen hang out, Eclipse. I liked the casual, we-don't-take-ourselves-too-seriously attitude of the place. I was sitting quietly sipping my soda when I heard a commotion to my right.

"FUCK OFF!" I heard a screechy voice say and I instantly turned my head. Two girls were standing in front of a third and were looking at her with disdain written across their faces.

The girl who yelled was tall and blond and had the worst fake tan I had ever seen. Really, who _wanted_ to be the color of a circus peanut? The one standing next to her was very short with a lot of dark curly hair. _A lot_ of hair. Like Welcome to the Miss Who Can Tease Their Hair The Highest Pageant. That much hair. I could tell too that she wore way too much makeup.

I could not see much of the girl they had yelled at. Only that she was short and petite with long dark hair. I was surprised that the only reaction she gave to being yelled at was to shrug and walk away. She didn't even seem upset. She walked in the direction of our booth and I got a good look at her for the first time.

I have to say that I really hadn't seen a prettier girl. Her skin was pale and it looked like she wore little to no makeup. She had big brown eyes and a set of full, very kissable looking lips. Those lips were actually turned into a slight smile and I could not fathom how she could smile after being yelled at by those girls. I had the sudden urge to meet her, to talk to her. I could not read her expression and I was very curious to know what she was thinking.

She sat down at a table about five feet away from our booth. She picked up the menu and started to look it over.

"Edward. Yo Edward." Emmett pulled my attention over to him. "We're gonna go shoot some pool, you wanna come?"

I shook my head. I wanted to talk to the girl and this was a perfect opportunity.

"Nah, you guys go ahead. I'm gonna chill here for a while."

"Whatever dude. I know why you are pussing out on us." I looked over at him, wondering if he had noticed me watching the girl. Emmett could tease like the devil and I didn't need to hear it from him right now.

"Oh yeah? Why?" I challenged.

"Cause you know I'll kick your ass is why. You know I have su-per-ior skills when it comes to pool and you don't want your ass handed to you like last time." He said with a smirk.

"Yep, you got me Em. That's it right there." I said sarcastically. "Though I keep telling you asshole, last time I had taken too much fucking cold medicine and was completely stoned. That is why you beat me."

"Yeah yeah, whatever gets you through the day man. When you find your balls, put 'em in your pocket and come join us." He said laughing.

I flipped him off and he and Jasper, who had watched the entire exchange with a huge grin on his face, went off to find a pool table.

I sat for a few minutes wondering what the best approach would be to talking to the girl when I saw the waitress come over to her. I decided to wait until she had ordered before going to talk to her.

"Hey Bella." The twenty-something looking waitress said. Bella. So that was her name. Beautiful in Italian. It suited her.

"Hey Nancy." Bella responded. Her voice was sweet and just a little husky, almost like honey. _Wow when did I become such a girl?_ I thought.

"Your usual tonight?" Nancy asked, smiling.

"Of course and a plate of nachos please." Bella said. Nancy nodded and wrote it down on her pad. "How is Jack?" She continued. "How are his classes going?"

"Jack is great. Oh Bella I have to thank you so much for finding that grant program for him. He only has one more class to finish before he graduates and he already has a job offer lined up." Nancy said, excited.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I was glad to help. It sucks though that he is in Seattle while you are here. Where is his job going to be?"  
"That's the best news. His job is in Port Angeles so he can commute everyday. We are going to get married next June. If you hadn't helped we would have had to postpone the wedding."

Bella stood up and hugged Nancy. "I'm so happy for you both! Let me know if there is anything you need help with. I can make favors or stuff invitations. Just don't ask me to write any of them. You know my handwriting looks like a chicken stole my pencil and danced with it across the paper." They both laughed.

I found myself chuckling along with her, though I made sure it was too low for her to hear. She sounded like a really nice girl so far and I couldn't wait for the waitress to leave so I could meet her.

"Bella," Nancy said quietly, "Why do you let them talk to you that way? You know Renee and Charlie would have a fit if they heard the way they treat you. I am surprised that they haven't gotten in more trouble with them as it is."

I was wondering this as well. How could she shrug off being yelled at like that?

"Nancy, it really doesn't bother me. Renee and Charlie don't know that they are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They are nice to me when the parents are at home and that is what is important. Raising three teenage girls is hard enough on them without having to deal with fighting and whatnot. They can be as mean to me as they like as long as Renee and Charlie have less to worry about." Bella shrugged.

I could not believe what I was hearing. She was taking the abuse willingly? What kind of a person did that?

Nancy wasn't done though. "What about at school? How do they act there?"  
Bella gave a short humorless laugh. "I think you just got a pretty good idea of how they act there."  
"What do the teachers say about it?" Nancy probed.

"They don't see it. Here's the thing, Nance. When they take all their shit out on me it keeps them in line in all the other aspects of their lives. The parents are happy and the girls don't act out in school. Despite how horrible they are they have both managed to keep pretty good grade averages and they will be able to get scholarships to college. Mom and Charlie will be happy and I won't have to deal with them. Plus when they get there the college girls will show them the true meaning of what being a bitch is and they will finally be put in their place. So if they want to treat me as a social outcast they can. I have broad enough shoulders to handle it."

Could anyone be that selfless? I could not believe it. She was willing to be treated like shit to keep everyone else happy? I was suddenly very angry at the two girls I now had to assume were her sisters, or step sisters at the very least. How could they treat a girl who was so obviously good so badly?

"Social outcast?" Nancy said in surprise. "What does that mean?"

"Oh you know how high school is. Nothing but cliques. They hate me so their friends do too. But you know I have Alice and Rosalie and they know who I really am. That is all I need. No one else matters."  
"What about boyfriends?" My ears perked up and I listened hard to make sure I heard her answer.

Bella laughed. "Yeah right. Come on, Nancy. With all the beautiful girls roaming the halls of Forks High _and_ the bitch twins scaring away anyone who _might _be interested in plain ole boring me you know I don't have a change in hell of getting a boyfriend."

Plain? Boring? No fucking way. The more I learned about her the more beautiful she became to me. Only now it was beauty on the inside _and_ outside that was attracting me.

"Bella Swan. You are not plain and boring. You are beautiful. You are also sweet and caring and considerate and smart and excuse me, but a fucking riot. Don't you ever let me hear you talk about yourself like that again." Nancy said fervently.

Bella blushed and looked down. I could not remember seeing anything more adorable in my life as that blush. And that she could take someone telling her to "fuck off" with her head held high but a compliment totally flustered her endeared her to me more. Fuck, I really was turning into a chick. I was crushing on a girl I had never even spoken to.

"Ok well I will go get your order and bring it out. You remember what I said now." Nancy said. Bella only nodded and Nancy walked away.

It was now or never. I got up from the booth and walked over to stand in front of her at her table.

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Bella's POV

"Hi." A deep voice said.

I looked up into the most beautiful set of green eyes I had ever seen. A boy was standing in front of me, holding the back of the chair across from me and looking down at me with a slight smile on his face.

He was gorgeous. That was the only word that came to mind. He was tall with pale white skin. He had a shock of hair on his head the color of an old penny and it stood out in several directions. _So that is what they mean by 'sex hair'_, I thought.

He was kind of lanky but I could see his muscles through the black t-shirt he wore. I looked into his eyes again to find him looking at me expectantly. I looked quickly to the left and the right but there was no one behind me.

"You talking to me?" I blurted out. Then cringed internally for saying something so completely ridiculous.

He laughed out loud and I don't think I have ever heard any sound to match it. It was full and deep and dare I say sexy.

"Yes, DeNiro, I'm talking to you." He said with a smirk.

I could only laugh. "Sorry, you took me by surprise. I'm Bella."

He smiled a breathtakingly gorgeous crooked grin at me. "Edward."

"Please sit down." I said, gesturing to the seat in front of me. He slid into the seat smoothly and rested his hands on the table in front of himself. I noticed that his fingers were long and graceful and I wanted to touch them. _Wait, where did that thought come from? Since when do I want to start touching random guys? Even yummy ones like this one._

"So," I said, "I'm going to take a stab here and say that you must be new here?"

He smiled that smile again. "How can you tell?"

"Well considering that there are only about three hundred students that go to the high school here and I've never seen you before I think it is a pretty good guess. Plus gossip in this town travels fast and they tell me at the hospital that there is a new doctor there who has three sons. It stands to reason that you are one of those sons, correct?"

He grinned at me. "Excellent deduction, Watson." I grinned at him.

"Yes, I am one of his sons. Actually he only has me and one son and the other is a family friend who is living with us."

"Oh, so you're not his son? Are you adopted then?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, they adopted me about five years ago." He said.

"Small world." I said softly.

He looked at me quizzically. "What do you mean? Are you adopted too?"

"Yes, I was adopted six years ago. My parents were killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Then Renee, my adopted mom, found me in an orphanage and decided she wanted to adopt me. So here I am." I said smiling. I knew how lucky I was and I loved my adopted mother dearly.

He looked shocked for a moment. "This really is a small world. So, I take it that those girls you were with before are your sisters?"

I made a face. Of course he would have seen them yelling at me. How embarrassing. I felt my cheeks move into a Stage 3 blush.

"Yeah, they are my step-sisters. Jessica and Lauren. Their Dad married my Mom."

"They seemed more like evil step sisters to me." He said softly, shaking his head.

I was about to speak when Nancy approached the table, carrying a tray. She set my drink and a huge tray of nachos in front of me.

"Jesus Christ Nancy, is this a super size or something? I'm never going to be able to eat that much." I said laughing.

"I thought maybe you could share or something." She said mischievously, looking back and forth between Edward and me. Great. Now I'm up to Stage 4. There were only five stages and after that I think my head explodes.

"Would you care to share these with me, Edward? I'm not going to be able to eat all of it and I would hate for it to go to waste."

Edward gave me that grin again and nodded. "Sure, they look great. Thanks." He looked up at Nancy. "May I have a Coke, please?"

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had such good manners. Most boys our age didn't. Nancy looked pleased as well.

"Certainly, I'll be right back." She turned and walked away and when she was behind Edward and out of his line of vision she turned and gave me a thumbs up and a wink. I looked down to hide my smile.

We ate in silence for a moment. I felt some cheese on the corner of my mouth and licked it away. When I looked at Edward he was looking at my mouth. I licked my lips again just to see what he would do and I watched as his eyes narrowed and his gaze became more intense. He looked up at me then and seemed surprised to see me watching him. Then his cheeks turned a little pink and I don't think I have ever seen anything more adorable. I smiled at him and he smiled back, a little chagrinned. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance.

"So, _Bella_, who's your _friend_?" I cringed internally to hear Lauren's high pitched voice. I looked up at her and she was practically eye-fucking Edward. His expression was an odd mix of surprise and distaste. I knew I liked him.

"Lauren this is Edward, Edward this Lauren, my step-sister." I said, gesturing.

"It is _soo_ nice to meet you Edward." Lauren simpered. I could barely contain a laugh and had to bite my lip. Edward looked at me for a second before looking back up at Lauren.

"Umm, thanks, you too." He looked so uncomfortable and I inhaled and exhaled deeply to keep from bursting out laughing.

"So, I've never seen you in here before." Lauren said.

"Probably because I've never been in here before." I could have been wrong but I was pretty sure I heard the impatience in Edward's tone. Lauren did not.

"Oh, so you're like, not from here?" She said. God could she get any more dumb? I don't think so. Any dumber and she would put her eye out tying her own shoes.

"That is an excellent guess. Yes, I'm not from here." Edward said sardonically. Lauren was oblivious of course.

"Oh, I've always been an excellent guesser." She said solemnly and I had to gulp down my laughter.

"Ahh." Was all Edward said. He looked at me and his expression said 'are you fucking kidding me?' I simply shook my head.

"So what are you doing Friday?" Lauren asked. Edward appeared taken aback for a moment before looking at me for help. I smiled at him and winked. He looked back at Lauren quickly.

"I actually have plans Friday. But thanks anyway."

Lauren looked over at me and sneered before looking back at Edward. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, if your _plans_ don't come through, give me a call." She said sweetly while shooting daggers at me. Jesus, why was she so mad at me all of a sudden?

She grabbed a napkin and wrote her number on it before handing it to Edward.

"Uh, thanks." He said.

"Have a good night." She said. I think she was trying to sound all breathless and seductive but it came out sounding like she had bronchitis.

Edward watched her walk away with a pained expression on his face and when she was out of earshot I burst out laughing.

He whipped his head over to me and looked at me in shock for a moment before bursting out laughing himself.

"Did that just happen? Was she for real? And why did she sound like she was having an asthma attack when she said good night?" He was shaking his head in disbelief.

"I think she was trying for seductive." I said laughing.

"Really? I thought she was getting a cold or something." He laughed. Then he sobered a bit. "Why was she looking at you like that? Like she wanted to burn a hole through you with her eyes?"

"I honestly don't know why they hate me. It has been this way since my Mom and their Dad got married four years ago. They have never liked me, though I have never done anything to incur their wrath. There is only one thing I can think of that would make them angry with me."

"Oh, what is that?" He asked.

"They are jealous of me because I am adopted."

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Edward's POV

_They are jealous of me because I am adopted._

The thought kept rolling through my head and I had no where to put it. Being adopted had never seemed to me to be something people would be envious about.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Her face turned thoughtful. "Well if you think about it, being adopted makes you really special. Look at all these kids here. Only about a third of them could be considered "planned pregnancies". That means the rest of them were technically accidents. Sure their parents love them and all, of course the do. But people like you and me, we were chosen. Our adopted parents looked at us and said "that is the one I want". And do you know how long and drawn out the process of adopting a child is? Even getting approved to be an adopted parent can take a few years. So for someone to go through all that just to be able to take us home and call us their own, that's devotion. We have the privilege of saying we were "hand picked" to be someone's son or daughter. How many people get to say that?"

I was stunned. I sat there for a moment, unable to speak. I felt the telltale prick of tears behind my lids and willed them back. I would _not_ fucking cry in front of this girl. But Jesus fucking Christ, what she just said smacked me in the chest. I had never thought about being adopted like that before. Most people attached a sort of stigma to adopted kids. Like, _Oh, poor thing. Adopted you know. Poor thing_. I realized now how special it was to be chosen. I think I understood for the first time how much Esme and Carlisle loved me. Of course I knew they loved me but now, thinking about it the way Bella put it, well it put a whole new spin on it.

"Edward, are you okay?" I looked up into Bella's beautiful chocolate eyes, now filled with concern. I had to clear my throat before speaking.

"Uh, yeah. I just never thought about it like that before, that's all." I felt like a huge ass now and hoped that she had not seen how wet my eyes had gotten. But when I looked at her she was only smiling at me in soft understanding.

"Most people don't. My train of thought had always left a completely different station than everyone else's."

I laughed. "I think I like the way your mind works though." She blushed again.

"So, what are you doing Friday?" I said. She looked surprised before adopting a coy expression.

"I thought you had plans for Friday?" She said, smiling.

"I do." I said. "I'm about to find out what they are."

She laughed. "Smooth."

"I thought so. So do you want to go out?"

"Sure, what do you want to do?" She said. I felt giddy that she had said yes. Geez, the emasculation of Edward Cullen was in full swing now.

"Well, since I'm "like, not from here" maybe you can pick something." She laughed at my impression of Lauren and I decided I loved the sound of her laughter. She seemed to laugh with her whole being and you could not help but laugh with her.

"Ok well we can go bowling in Port Angeles. It is a town about an hour from here and they have a pretty good bowling alley."

"Hmm, bowling huh? I would have thought you would say dinner and a movie. Isn't that the typical first date?"

"Oh no. First of all you can't talk and get to know someone in a movie theater without getting kicked out. Second movies are places for illicit kisses and mild groping. That is definitely fourth date stuff." She grinned at me.

I was stunned for a second. "And here I thought you were so sweet and innocent." I shook my head in mock sadness.

"It's always the quiet ones." She said laughing.

"Can we skip right to the fourth date then?" I asked hopefully. She laughed out loud and I realized I could easily fall for Bella Swan.

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**A/N: So what do you think? Let me know. And thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Bella's POV

"Are you kidding me?! Please tell me you aren't serious?" I asked in horror.

He shrugged at me. "I'm serious."

I gaped at him.

"How can you not like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? It was such a hilarious book!" I said in outrage.

"I didn't say I read the book. I watched the movie. It was enough to convince me that it was completely stupid." He said.

"Of course the movie was stupid. It was completely random. I hated the movie but the book is completely fucking awesome. You have to read it." I said with conviction.

"Okay, maybe I will one day then." He seemed indifferent.

"No, you are going to take it with you when you pick me up on Friday and you are going to take it home and read it that weekend." I crossed my arms, letting him know I meant business.

He laughed.

"Alright, alright you win. I'll read it. But if I hate it you have to read a completely random and pointless book of my choosing."

"Agreed." I was confident because I knew that book rocked, hard.

Edward and I had been sitting for over an hour discussing our favorite books and the pros and cons of each. I found that we both enjoyed the classics though I preferred Bronte and Austen and he thought they were cookie cutter romances.

Talking to Edward was so comfortable. I never felt nervous or unsure. I even flirted with him, though I was not sure if it came off that way; it's not like I have a lot of practice at that kind of thing.

Edward seemed to be enjoying himself as well, resting back in his chair and laughing. I loved watching his hands when he gestured to make a point. The movements seemed so fluent and I was jealous of his seemingly natural grace.

I watched him as he told a particular amusing story; his whole body was dedicated to the recounting of it. His eyes twinkled, that amazing grin appeared and his whole body shook with laughter when he was finished.

"So I told him that next time _he_ would have to call the escort service. That was the last time I played Truth or Dare with him. Emmett is great but he has a knack for getting into the craziest shit." He laughed. I laughed with him though I realized that I would have to pay more attention to what he was saying rather than how gorgeous he was. I didn't hear one word of that story. I was about to speak when I was interrupted.

"_B-elll-a_." A sing song voice cried out. I closed my eyes in pain as I realized that my other horrible step-sister was making her way over to the table. Wasn't there a rule about speaking in public? I guess that only applied to me speaking to _them_ not the other way around. I looked over at Jessica approaching the table, secretly wishing for a sinkhole to suddenly appear and swallow her up.

She approached the table and proceeded with her own session of Edward eye-fucking. Can you get an STD from someone eye-fucking you? I think Edward might need to see his father about an inoculation.

"Bella, I can't believe that someone like _you_ managed to snag the hottest guy in the place." She looked over at me at the end of the sentence. I rolled my eyes at her.

"I'm sure stranger things have happened in the universe. After all you're here aren't you?" I said sarcastically. I thought I heard Edward smother a laugh but I was watching Jessica and could not be sure. Did I mention that while my stepsisters could use sarcasm they never really understood when it was being used against them? Yeah, Jessica was completely oblivious. I enjoyed it though. She never knew when I was insulting her.

She looked confused for a moment before shrugging.

"Yeah okay whatever." She turned to Edward. "I'm Jessica. What's your name?"

"Edward." He was looking at her in mild revulsion but she did not pick up on that either. I was constantly amazed at how completely oblivious my steps could be. They were not ones to pick up on subtlety in any way.

"Well, Eddie, why don't you come over to where my sister and our friends are sitting? You don't have to sit _here _when the cool people are all over there." She said, pointing to a table across the room.

Edward's eyes flicked over to mine for a moment before looking back up at Jessica.

"What is wrong with sitting here?" He asked curiously.

I did a mental face plant. This was just what I needed. Every time a boy seemed interested in me in anyway, even as a friend, the girls had to ruin it for me. Jessica was definitely the meaner of the two step-bitches and I was pretty sure that whatever was about to come out of her mouth would be uncomplimentary and rude. She did not disappoint.

"Well there is no reason for you to sit here with Ms. Prissy Bitch here. She is really only about one step above a toadstool you know? While my friends and I are the most popular kids at our school, not to mention being the hottest. You should totally be spending your time with us, not stuck over here with the pond scum."

I rolled my eyes again. I think they were going to get stuck in the top of my head like my mom told me they would when I was in second grade. I rolled my eyes so often around Jessica and Lauren that I think I had the inside of my skull memorized.

I looked over at Edward to see what his reaction was. I was shocked by the anger I saw there. His eyes were glinting with fury and his brow was drawn down into a dark scowl.

"_First_ of all, I find Bella's company incredibly entertaining. _Second_ if you are any indication of the _popular_ people in your school then I think I will be perfectly happy to be a social pariah for the rest of my high school career. And if the words that I used were too big for your obviously small brain then I will say it in terms you can understand. Leave me the fuck alone." His voice never rose during his speech; instead it was calm and smooth. Which made it that much more menacing sounding to me.

Jessica looked at him, doing her best impression of a fish out of water. Her mouth gaped open and shut and she seemed speechless for a moment. Score one to Edward.

But Jessica wasn't done.

"I don't see why you have to be mean to me. She is the one who has no friends and will die a virgin. I mean look at her. She is the equivalent of a wet piece of cardboard, all limp and brown. You should hang out with us. It will definitely up your cred." She said arrogantly.

"Personally I think Bella is the prettiest girl I have ever seen and once again there is no way in _hell_ I would ever hang out with you _or _your friends. I have _some_ integrity you know." He said, his voice mingling anger and disbelief.

My heart swelled when he called me pretty. Wow. No boy had ever said that to me before. Or about me. Since he didn't say it to me. He said it to The Evil One. But still! He thought I was pretty!

"Well _fine _be that way. I was just trying to save you from a horrible social death among the outcasts. But whatever. A week into the school year when no one speaks to you, you will be begging to be my friend. You'll see." Jessica said smugly.

"Well if that day ever comes I will most certainly beg for your forgiveness. Until then though I wish you would walk the fuck away. You perfume is making my eyes water." Edward said, turning away from her and looking at me directly.

Jessica huffed and walked off, trying to strut in her high heels but ending up looking like a newborn colt trying to learn to walk.

"Well that was interesting." I said, laughing.

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Edward's POV

I watched her laugh as the repulsive Jessica walked away. How she could laugh when people were being so vile to her amazed me.

She noticed me watching her and stopped laughing.

"What?" She said quizzically.

"How do you do that? How can you laugh when she was being so fucking nasty to you?" I asked in wonder.

She waved a hand in dismissal and made a face.

"Jessica? She is not even worth the time it would take to get angry about it. Both she and Lauren are evil nasty bitches and there is nothing I can do to change that. I used to get mad or cry when they were mean to me when I was younger but I realized that only egged them on. No reaction at all seems to shut them up."

"I can't believe that she called you one step up from a toadstool. What does that even mean?" I asked, shaking my head.

She giggled. "I have no idea. But the cardboard thing was pretty inspired for her, though."

"So it doesn't hurt your feelings when they say things to you like that?" I didn't see how anyone's self esteem could survive that kind of assault on a daily basis.

"Well Eleanor Roosevelt said that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. I am not going to allow the meanderings of an obviously feeble mind undermine my self confidence. I don't allow other people to determine _my _self worth." She shrugged and took a drink of her sweet tea.

I was in awe. I couldn't believe that she was a high school student. She seemed wise beyond her years.

"Well, I think you are beautiful and I think your step-sisters are the ones that are eye level with the toadstools." I watched as she blushed prettily.

"Thanks." She said softly, looking down at the table.

I reached out and took her hand across the table. I was shocked by the electric pulse that shot up my arm. It felt kind of like hitting your funny bone. I looked into her eyes and saw the same shock there. So she felt it too. What did _that_ mean?

"Edward!" Emmett's voice boomed out.

I flinched and Bella did too. I let go of her hand and ran my fingers through my hair as Emmett approached. Would I ever be able to have a full conversation with Bella without being interrupted?

"Edward! Are you ever going to bring your pansy ass over there and let me stomp your dick in the dirt? You are missing out on all the fun dude!"

I looked over at Bella who was grinning at me. I held her eyes with my own as I answered Emmett.

"I'm not missing out on anything Emmett." Bella blushed again and I looked up at Emmett and nodded my head in Bella's direction and raising my eyebrows, hoping he would get the hint.

Emmett looked over at Bella for the first time.

"Oh shit! Sorry!" He said, making an embarrassed face.

Bella laughed. "Nah, its cool man."

Emmett's eyebrows went up and he looked over at me, nodding his appreciation.

He was clearly impressed with Bella's unflappability.

"If you want to shoot pool, go ahead. I can come over and watch Emmett stomp you." She said.

Emmett hooted. "I like her Edward, come on. Let's get this party started."

He turned and walked back to the left side pool room.

"Are you sure you want to go over there? We don't have to, you know." I did not want her to feel obligated because of Emmett.

"How are you going to impress me with your manly finesse if we don't?" She said, winking at me.

Just when I thought I had her figured out she would say something completely unexpected. It kept me on my toes and hanging on her every word.

"Okay, well you asked for it then."

She raised her eyebrows at me questioningly.

"You'll see. Twenty minutes with Emmett and you will be running for the door. He is like a visual aid for obnoxious sometimes." I said, shaking my head.

Her laughter carried us into the pool room.

I lined up my next shot, while watching Em and Jazz talk to Bella. I was happy to see how easily she fit in with them. She seemed to have no problem trading insults back and forth with Emmett and I saw her several times talking quietly with Jazz and him nodding in agreement to whatever she said. She seemed like the type of person who got along with everyone no matter what social situation she was in.

"Eight ball corner pocket." I said, gesturing with my cue to the pocket I was aiming for. I knocked the ball in smoothly and Em groaned behind me.

"Told you it was the fucking cold medicine last time, Em."

"Whatever dude, lucky shot." He grumbled.

"Three games in a row?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fuck you man." Emmett was not always a good loser.

"You're not my type man." I shot back.

"I think I know your type." He smirked, nodding in Bella's direction. Fortunately she was talking to Jazz and seemed oblivious.

I grinned back.

"Oh no!" Bella suddenly exclaimed. "What time is it?"

I looked at my watch. "Eight forty-five. Why?"

"Fuckdamnshit!" She cried. Emmett laughed hard, holding his stomach.

"I have to be home at nine. It's a fucking school night. But the bitch twins aren't giving me a ride back home. Sonofabitchdammitalltohell! I have no ride."

I laughed. "Don't be silly Bella. I'll drive you home."

"What about Emmett and Jasper?" She asked.

"I drove here in my jeep, Bella. Edward is too in love with his car to leave it sitting home all by itself." Emmett guffawed.

"I am not _in love_ with my car, asshole. And taking two cars seems like a really good idea now doesn't it?" I said. I secretly did love my car but there was no way I would ever admit that out loud.

"You really don't mind?" Bella asked.

"Of course not. Come on. Let's go. See you guys at the house." I called out to them as we walked away. I guided Bella through the front of the building, my hand on the small of her back. I held open the heavy ass double doors open for her and walked outside. It was October and the air was crisp. It smelled like Fall. I loved that smell.

Bella stepped down off the curb and almost fell. I managed to catch her by the waist and pull her back up against my chest. I was instantly aware of her body pressed against mine. She felt so tiny in my arms. I bent down to whisper in her ear, inhaling the clean smell of her hair as I did so.

"Careful now." I said softly.

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Bella's POV

Holy hell on a saltine cracker. Edward grabbed me around the waist and held me against his chest to keep me from falling. I could feel how hard his chest was against my back and his long legs intertwined with mine. My entire body felt electrified.

"Careful now." His deep voice whispered in my ear. I had to close my eyes for a moment to prevent the shiver that wanted to race down my body. I felt tingly.

He set me down on the pavement, keeping an arm around my waist.

"You okay?" He asked.

I nodded and smiled. "I guess I didn't mention that I am really _really_ clumsy. Like trip over lint clumsy. I may end up being a hazard to your health."

"I think the benefits outweigh the risks. I'm willing to risk life and limb to spend a little more time with you." He grinned and gave me a cheeky wink.

"Wow are you naturally charming or did you take a special class in school?"

"I like to think it is a natural gift." He said laughing.

"Hmm, I'm going to have to be on my guard against you. That kind of charm can be lethal. I can just see myself agreeing to all kinds of things when you unleash your magic powers on me." I laughed.

His smirked at me and stepped a little closer. "Oh? What kinds of things are we talking about here? And don't be afraid to go into detail."

I smacked his arm. "It is bad enough that you have a deadly weapon, I'm not going to provide you with the ammunition. Now take me home mister."

He gave an exaggerated bow and gestured towards the parking lot. "Right this way mi'lady." I could not help but laugh.

He led the way to a shiny silver Volvo. I had to say, it was a really nice car. It looked sleek and fast.

"I can see why Emmett says you are in love with your car. How could you not be? She's beautiful." I said.

Edward's eyes sparkled in the dim light. "Thanks. But how do you know she is a she?"

"Aren't all cars female? And look at her, all sleek lines and curves and power. Oh yeah, this baby is a woman." I said grinning.

"I think that is the sexiest thing I have ever heard a woman say." He laughed. He leaned around me to open the car door for me and I got inside, buckling my seatbelt.

He slid inside and started the car. I gave him directions to my house and we drove through the darkened streets of Forks. In a few moments we were pulling up in front of my house.

"Give me your cell phone?" I asked. He handed it over and I programmed my number in before handing it back to him. I pulled out my own. "What's your number?"

He looked at me with a shocked expression. "You think I just go around giving out my number out to people I just met? What kind of a guy do you think I am?" He said in mock indignation.

I laughed. "The kind of guy who will be without a date Friday night if he doesn't give me his number right this minute."

He grabbed my phone and quickly punched his number in, grinning.

"Thanks for the ride home Edward. I had a lot of fun tonight."

"Your welcome. I had a fun too." He did not seem ready to leave and I was not ready to get out of the car yet.

"So…I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow is our first day. I have never been to such a small school. It should be interesting to say the least."

"Sure, if you don't mind everyone staring at you like you are a science experiment. You know, like you're under a microscope?"

He made a face. "Hmm, not looking forward to that. But at least I am going in knowing one person." He smiled. Then he looked kind of nervous, scratching the back of his head.

"Um, Bella?" He said.

"Yes?"

"Could I pick you up for school tomorrow?" He asked hesitantly. "I mean, if you want me to? I don't know if you already have a way or not but it would be nice to ride with someone who knew their way around or whatever." He stopped talking abruptly, looking out the driver side door.

He was embarrassed. It was so adorable I had to stop the giggle that was forming in me.

"Edward?" He looked over at me. "I'd love to ride to school with you. You'd be saving me from the bitch fest that is Lauren and Jessica. Plus I'd get the pleasure of your company again too." I smiled.

He gave me a breathtaking smile. "So what time?"  
"Seven-thirty sharp." I replied. I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow. Good night."

I jumped out of the car and made my way to the house.

I looked back and Edward was still parked in my driveway. I waved to him before opening the door and going inside.

I closed the door behind me and leaned my back against it. I was suddenly giddy. I laughed and squealed at the same time, beating my fists against the door behind me. I could not believe everything that had happened in the last few hours.

"I take it you had a good night then?" My adopted Mom, Renee said. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest and a big smile on her face.

I ran up to her and hugged her exuberantly.

"Oh Mom, you will never guess what happened. I met a really great guy while I was out tonight. He is smart and funny and sweet and polite and _gorgeous_. He is picking me up for school tomorrow and we are going out on a date Friday!" I said practically all in one breath.

She laughed out loud. "That sure is a lot of 'ands' in one sentence. Oh honey I am so glad you met someone so nice. What is his name?"

"Edward Cullen."

"Oh, is he the son of Dr. Cullen at the hospital?" She asked.

"Oh! I almost forgot. He is adopted, just like me! Isn't that amazing? This town is so small I thought I would be the only adopted one ever but he is too!"

She just shook her head and laughed again. "It sounds like you have a lot in common then." She reached down and hugged me. "Okay, well I will tell Charlie about the date for you but you know he is going to want to meet him before you two go out. Where are you going?"

"Bowling in Port Angeles. You always told me that a first date should be a place where you can talk _and _learn something about the other person at the same time. This way I can see him in a competitive situation to see how aggressive he is." I mock bowed to her. "You have taught me well, Oh Wise One."

She smacked my arm playfully. "Just remember all the other things I taught you too, especially how to break his nose if he gets too frisky without your permission."

Renee had taken me to a self defense class last year to make sure I knew how to handle tricky situations. She made sure that we practiced every Saturday to keep our skills up. Charlie a lot of the times was our practice target, though we were careful not to hurt him for real. As the Chief of Police in this town he encouraged us and made sure that I carried pepper spray with me at all times. The can was on my keychain.

"I will Mom, but I don't think that he is like that." Renee rolled her eyes. "I mean yes he is a teenage boy and by definition a regular hormone fest but I really think that he is too considerate to force a girl, you know what I mean?"

"Well, I won't make a judgment without meeting him. For now I will respect your opinion of him but I _do_ want to meet him." She said, raising her eyebrow.

"I will make sure you meet him Friday. Is that alright?"

"Of course, sweetie. Okay, enough of this. Right now I am just going to be excited with you that you have a guy chasing after you. The rest will sort itself. Now get some sleep. I'm sure you want as much as possible so you can look your best in the morning when your ride gets here." She winked at me.

I threw my arms around her. "Thanks Mom. You are the best _ever._ Oh and please, _please_ do not let me sleep past 6:45. Even if you have to dump me onto the floor. I don't want to rush around in the morning." I pleaded.

"Oh course honey. Though remember that in the morning when I _do_ have to dump you on the floor. You know you are not a morning person." Renee said laughing.

"Just make sure there is coffee." I called out over my shoulder. I walked into the living room and saw Charlie engrossed in a sporting event on the television. He looked up when I walked in.

"Hey there Bella. Did you girls have fun tonight?" He asked.

Charlie was completely unaware of the tension between his daughters and me. Mostly because they acted like perfect angels at home. Charlie was not one to tolerate discord in the family. The girls learned that early on, when Renee and I had moved in. They were pretty mean to me at first and it had incensed Charlie, who wanted everyone in the family to get along. He had punished them, taking away privileges and since then they kept their antics to outside the home.

The last five years had been hard on both Charlie and Renee. Renee's husband Phil had died a year after they had adopted me and Renee had been devastated. We were all each other had during that time and it really cemented our relationship. But Renee had been lonely and had started looking at online dating sites. We were living in Phoenix at the time but somehow Renee had found Charlie online. He had joined the site a few years after his wife, Grace, had died of cancer. He had originally been looking for friends to talk to but he and Renee hit it off and started chatting. Which led to a few vacations to meet each other. They fell in love and decided to get married all in the space of a year. They had been married for four years now and were still very happy together.

"It was an interesting night, Charlie." Charlie understood that while I was fine with calling Renee Mom, I was not comfortable calling him Dad. I did not want to hedge in on his relationship with his daughters and he knew that.

"Well, I'm glad you girls got to go out together. You don't spend enough time together." He was conveniently forgetting that it was he himself who had all but forced us to go out tonight. He wanted us to bond more as sisters but unfortunately didn't know that his daughters despised me. Oh well. Charlie and Renee deserved to be happy and it was only for another year and a half. I could handle that.

I bent down and kissed him on the top of his head. "I'm going to bed Charlie. See you in the morning."

"'Night Bells." He said, his eyes trailing back to the television.

I walked up stairs and into my room before flopping down on the bed with a huge grin on my face. This had been a great night.

Oh shit! I thought. I had to tell Alice and Rose to be ready in the morning. I whipped out my phone and called Alice on her cell.

"Alice? Hey! Hold on. I am getting Rose on three-way. I have some news for you both!"

I dialed Rose and she answered on the second ring.

"Hey Rose. I have Alice on three-way. I have _got_ to tell you both what happened tonight!" My voice was excited.

"Did you finally beat the shit out of the Bitch Twins?" Rose asked dryly.

"No, but something even better than that happened." I said, laughing.

Alice gasped. "What could be better than that?" She said giggling.

Rose and Alice knew how the girls treated me and even though they hated it they understood my reasoning. That did not mean they were had to accept it and often got into verbal tussles with Jessica and Lauren. Because of that they were treated as outcasts by Jessica and Lauren's circle of friends but since they didn't like anyone in that circle it didn't matter to them in the slightest.

"Well you know that Charlie and Mom made the girls to take me with them to Eclipse. Well I was sitting there at my table and this completely hot guy came up and just started talking to me. His name is Edward Cullen. He is one of Dr. Cullen's sons. Adopted, just like me. We were talking and then Lauren comes up and starts coming on to him and he totally blew her off when she asked him out for Friday night. Jessica came up a little while later and started tearing into me like usual to him and he totally defended me!"

Alice and Rose both gasped.

"Wow!" Alice said. "What did he say?"

"He told Jessica that he thought I was really interesting and pretty and then he told her that there is no way he would ever want to hang out with her or her friends and _then_…he told her to leave him the fuck alone! You should have seen her face." I said giggling.

"Oh I like him already!" Alice said.

"Me too. About time there was a guy out there who sees you for how great you are and doesn't put up with Jessica and Lauren's bullshit." Rose said.

"Well, guess what? He asked me out for Friday night and he is picking me up for school tomorrow!"

I had to hold the phone away from my ear as Alice squealed.

"Oh my God Bella! That is amazing! I am so happy for you!" Alice was in full hyper mode now. I could practically see her bouncing up and down on her bed.

"I am too Bella. You deserve to be happy with all the hell you get from the BB." BB was Rose's nickname for Jessica and Lauren and their cronies. It stood for Bitch Brigade. When I pointed out that it could also stand for the size of their brains, Rose had snorted soda out of her nose. So the name stuck.

"Well I have one more interesting tidbit for you two."

"What?" Alice said, still excited.

"Edward has a brother and a family friend that moved here with him and they are both gorgeous. And both are single. And I am sure you both get to meet them in the morning at school."

Both Alice _and_ Rose squealed that time.


	3. Chapter 3

Edward's POV

I watched Bella until she made it into the house, my cheek still tingling from her goodbye kiss. Then I put the car in gear and made my way home. I could not believe everything that had happened tonight. Who would have ever thought I would meet a girl like Bella in this gnat-speck of a town? Not me certainly. She seemed almost too good to be true. I had only ever met a few truly good people in my life after my parents died. Carlisle and Esme and Emmett and Jasper. I was lucky to be surrounded by people like that. And now I could count Bella as one of them.

I pulled into the driveway and turned the motor off. I was still reeling a little from what Bella had said at Eclipse about being adopted. I didn't mind being adopted; who would with parents like Carlisle and Esme? But I had always kind of felt like an outsider in my own life. Like someone might come and pull the rug out from under me and tell me that it was all a joke, that I didn't deserve to have such wonderful adopted parents or such a great brother.

Talking to Bella had made me see that I had been subconsciously distancing myself from them because of that, as irrational as it may be. But now, seeing it through her perspective, I realized how silly that was. The Cullens had _chosen_ me. They were not going to just toss me aside like some of the fosters I had been with. They _wanted _me to be a part of the family. Why in the hell had it taken me so long to figure this out? Because I was selfish I suppose. Seeing only how my adoption affected me and not how it had changed Carlisle and Esme and Emmett's lives too. Time to fix that. Time to let them see how much I appreciated them taking in a small boy with nowhere to go and loving and caring for him like their own.

I opened the door and was instantly hit by the smell of fresh baked cookies. I walked into the kitchen to see the island covered in cookies of every type and description. There were chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin; there were even sugar cookies in the shape of an angel, complete with white frosted bodies and golden halos.

"Man oh man, what the heck is all this?" I asked, chuckling.

Esme turned around from the kitchen counter where she was stirring still more batter.

"Hi dear. The elementary school is having a bake sale and I told them I would help out. I hope it is enough." She had a smudge of flour on her cheek and I wiped it away with my thumb before bending and kissing her cheek.

"I'm sure they will have cookies from now until the end of time. On the other hand, considering how good your cookies are they may all sell out in the first ten minutes." I teased.

She laughed. "I hope so. They need new playground equipment and I want to help them get it."  
I was always amazed at how much Esme did to help her community. Even in Chicago she was always involved with charitable organizations and fundraisers. She had boundless energy when it came to helping others.

I leaned back against the island and Esme turned back to the counter and resumed her stirring, humming softly to herself. I looked down and saw the platter of angel cookies and was instantly reminded of the day I met her in the hospital. I picked up one of the cookies and held it in my hand.

"Esme?" I said softly.

"Yes, dear?" She said without turning around.

"Um, Mom?" I said.

The wooden spoon she was using clattered to the ground and Esme spun towards me, her hand over her mouth. She was shocked. I had never called her mom before. I had always felt like it would be a little disloyal to my own parents to call Carlisle and Esme Mom and Dad. But after my epiphany tonight I realized that _not _calling them Mom and Dad was disloyal to them. My parents would have wanted me to end up with people like the Cullens. They would not mind it now, I was sure.

I smiled softly at Esme who was still staring at me in shock. I held up the angel cookie so she could see it.

"You remember that day in the hospital? The day I met you?" She nodded mutely. "I never told you but when I first saw you I thought you were an angel. You walked in and you were so beautiful and then you hugged me and I felt so _safe._ Like nothing bad could happen to me. Then I looked into your eyes and I knew that home was where ever you were. When you and Carlisle said you wanted to adopt me I thought I should pinch my self or something. I mean how could you walk in and just decide to adopt me. You didn't know anything about me or anything.

"Oh Edward." Esme breathed, tears in her eyes. She walked over and wrapped her arms around me.

I hugged her tight. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for adopting me and taking me into your home and always treating me like one of your own. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to realize how amazing it is that you adopted me, that you wanted me. I love you Mom."

Esme pulled back from me and took my face into her hands. "Edward, you have always been mine. From the moment I saw you in that hospital room I loved you and knew you were meant to be in my family. You will always be mine, even when you are old and gray with a dozen grandchildren." She pulled my head down and kissed me on the forehead before hugging me again, sobbing softly.

"Shhh, Mom. It's okay. I love you." I whispered to her. I ran one hand down the length of her soft hair and rubbed circles into her back with the other.

A noise at the kitchen door drew my attention and I looked over to see Carlisle standing there, arms crossed over his chest and his eyes suspiciously bright. I held out my hand to him and he walked over to me and Esme. He wrapped one arm around Esme and put the other on the nape of my neck, bringing our heads together.

"Thanks Dad." I whispered. "Thanks for everything. I love you." He nodded and I felt the motion against my forehead. We stood that way for a while.

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Carlisle's POV

I was in my study when I heard Edward come into the house and walk into the kitchen. He seemed to be taking this move rather well. Though he had always been one to roll with the punches. Even when he was younger he always seemed to persevere. When I saw him in the hospital that day, his arm broken and no one to sit with him and make sure he was alright, my heart had gone out to him. He was stoic when he told me that his parents were dead and that his foster parents were probably out at a bar somewhere instead of being at home to take care of him.

I remember the anger I felt that a young boy could shrug off these things as if they were nothing, as if it were natural. I looked into his eyes and saw a little boy who was so close to being a man but had never had a real childhood. He seemed like such a smart, strong hearted little guy and I fell in love with him on the spot.

I left him there and went to call Esme. When I told her about Edward she was shocked but agreed to come down to meet him. She could not believe that I wanted to adopt a child after meeting them only one time. Until she had walked into that hospital room. I knew the moment that she walked over to him and hugged him that Edward was already hers. He had a way about him, a manner that begged you to love him from the very first. The look on his face when he saw Esme for the first time and when we told him that we wanted to adopt him would be etched on my brain forever. He looked disbelieving at first, then so happy that I think the entire room lit up.

I have never regretted adopting Edward. From the moment we brought him home he adapted, becoming a wonderful son to us and brother to Emmett. Emmett was glad to finally have a ready-made little brother to play with and Edward's place in the family was cemented by Emmett's easy acceptance. He has always made me proud, bringing in good grades, helping around the house, keeping Emmett from playing out some of his more hare-brained schemes. Edward was thoughtful and sensitive and wickedly funny. I loved him as if he were my natural born son.

I followed a few minutes after him to see him leaning against the island in the kitchen. Esme dropped her spoon when Edward called her Mom. I knew it was something she never thought he would ever call her and she had resigned herself to that. But I knew it was something that she wanted a great deal.

When he told her that he thought she was an angel the first time they met I had to suppress a laugh. I had always felt that Esme was _my_ angel. She was so sweet and loving and caring and compassionate she truly seemed like one.

But when he thanked her for adopting him I felt the tears well in my eyes. Even after all this time Edward still held himself slightly aloof from us. I don't think it was anything he did intentionally; I think that he felt different being adopted. We never treated him as any less than our son but I think that he still thought that we might take him back, as absurd as that idea was. He was ours. Always.

Edward held my angel in his arms, comforting her and petting her hair much the same way she had done to him in the hospital all those years ago. I must have made some sound because Edward looked over at me, his eyes soft. He held his hand out to me and I walked over, putting one arm around Esme and bringing our foreheads together.

"Thanks Dad." He whispered. "Thanks for everything. I love you." I could only nod my head over the lump in my throat. I did not realize until now how much I wanted him to call me Dad until this moment.

We stood that way for a while until Esme stopped crying and stepped back, wiping her eyes.

She turned and grabbed a dishtowel and blotted her face.

"Ok, so what happened tonight to bring all this on?" She asked, laughing softly.

I watched as a smile spread slowly across Edward's face.

"Well, I met a girl tonight who is adopted too and she said something that kind of gave me an epiphany of sorts. She made me realize how special it is to be adopted. She pointed out all the time and trouble it takes to adopt someone and that you must really want that person in your life if you are willing to go through all that." He shrugged.

"Son, you know we want you in our life. We have always wanted you, from the very first." I said.

"I know you have; I guess I just never realized how much I was changing your lives as well. I never truly understood how much you had to go through to adopt me when you didn't have to. And that I have never said thank you for that until tonight. But I do, thank you that is. I don't know of anyone that would just walk in and decide to adopt a half grown kid like you guys. And I know that my birth parents would be very happy that I was taken in by you both."

Esme's eyes were wet again and she dabbed at them with the towel.

"Thank you Edward." She said. "That means a lot to me."

"They would have loved you Esme. Heck, everyone does." He laughed.

I chuckled with him. Most people did love Esme, right from the start. She just radiated goodness.

"So, you met a girl?" Esme said with a sly look in her eye.

Edward smiled again. "Yeah, I met her at that place Eclipse you told me about."  
"Well she must be pretty amazing to cause all this in you." Esme said.

Edward grinned. "She is."

"Soo…are you going to see her again?" Esme had been waiting for a girl to touch Edward's heart and it seemed like he had met someone who could do just that.

Edward's smile got impossibly bigger. "I am picking her up for school in the morning and we have a date Friday night." He said.

I could practically see Esme's heart swell in her chest.

"What is she like son?" I asked.

"She is really smart and funny and sweet and one of the most selfless and generous people I have ever met, aside from you two. And get this: she actually willingly suffers some pretty heinous verbal abuse from her two stepsisters so that her adopted mom and stepfather don't have to worry. I heard her tell a friend that since they already have the stress of raising three teenage girls they didn't need to have the added burden of those teenagers fighting all the time on top of it. So she just lets them rag on her all the time so her parents can be happy."

I had never heard of anything like this. She let them abuse her? Just to keep the peace at home? I felt a strong wave of protectiveness for this girl I had never met. She had already done so much for Edward and my family without even knowing it.

Esme looked at me and I could tell that she was feeling the same things I was.

"Wow that is pretty amazing. So what is her name?" I asked.

"Bella Swan." He replied. His smile seemed etched on his face.

"Oh she must be the Police Chief's daughter." Esme said.

I watched the smile slipped slightly. I chuckled to myself. I could imagine the horror he must be feeling inside knowing the father of the girl he wanted to date had a permit to carry a gun.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be just fine son. Just use those manners that Esme has been pounding into you for the last five years and you will impress him just fine." I said laughing.

"Thanks Dad." He said wryly. I was amazed at how easily he had slipped into calling me Dad after all these years of not doing so.

"Can we meet her?" Esme asked. "Maybe you could invite her over for dinner before you go out on your date? I will make your favorite, chicken cacciatore."

"Aww, Mom! It's our first date. Don't start picking wedding china. And don't you think it is jumping the gun a little to have dinner with the parents on the first date?"

"Please just ask her if she wants to. Please." Esme put on her best pleading face. I knew for a fact how lethal it could be when she used it on me. Edward didn't have a chance.

"Mom, not the puppy dog face! You said you would only use that for special occasions!" Edward tried to look away but couldn't. I saw him shake with frustrated laughter.

Esme turned up the volume on her expression and I saw Edward crumble before my eyes.

"Okay okay I'll ask her. But if she says no don't be hurt okay? You know I hate that almost as much as the puppy dog face." He said laughing.

"You didn't have a chance son. Trust me. I know the power of that face." I said laughing.

"Well dear," Esme said, "You need to go ahead and get to bed. Tomorrow is your first day at a new school and you have a girl to pick up too. You don't want to oversleep."

I watched as Edward's smile came creeping back up his face. I was pleased to see my son so happy.

"Alright g'night Mom, Dad." He snagged an angel cookie and sauntered out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Esme turned and wrapped her arms around me.

"Oh Carlisle. I'm so happy that he has met someone. Did you see the way he smiled when he talked about her? And for him to come in and say what he said. Wow. And it was all because of her? I have to meet this girl. That is why I used "the face" on him. I think I am going to love her the moment I meet her. I am so happy to see our boy so happy."

I kissed her on the top of her head.

"Me too, angel."

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Bella's POV

My mom woke me up at 6:45 just like I asked her. For the first time well, ever, I jumped out of bed without grumbling. Amazing what a boy can do to you. I grabbed some clothes and hurried to the bathroom before the girls took it over. I took a quick shower, washing my hair thoroughly before getting out and drying off. I got dressed and went back to my room to dry my hair.

I decided to leave my hair down this morning and after brushing it carefully I looked myself over in the mirror on the back of the door.

When I met Alice three years ago I had lost something vital: the ability to buy my own clothes. Alice had taken one look at my usual uniform of baggy jeans and t-shirts and declared me hopeless. She made me vow that I would never go clothes shopping without her. Had I known the terror that is Alice on a shopping trip I would not have agreed as quickly as I did.

Looking at myself now though I had to say I appreciated her clothing advice. I was wearing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans with a cobalt blue long sleeve shirt and my favorite Chucks. I put a black zip up hoodie over the top, leaving it open, and declared myself ready. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder.

I went downstairs to the kitchen. My mom was up and poured me a cup of coffee when she saw me come into the kitchen. I set my backpack on the floor next to the table and took the cup gratefully.

"I'd tell you that it will stunt your growth but since I doubt you are going to get much taller anyway I guess it doesn't matter." She said laughing.

"Oh ha ha. What a riot you are." I said dryly.

"If I had known you were going to be this short I might not have adopted you. I was hoping you would become a famous female basketball player and then I could live like a fat rat for the rest of my life." She said grinning.

"Sorry to kill your dream. Too bad for you I am so clumsy I almost need handicap plates. And I'll have you know that I am not short. I'm fun size!" I said. I tried to keep a straight face but Renee burst out laughing and I could not help but join her.

She pushed a plate of toast in front of me and I sat nibbling on it while I waited for Edward. It was only 7:15. I had gotten showered and dressed in record time.

"Did you tell Charlie about Friday, Mom?" I asked.

"Yes, and he was happy for you but he wants to meet him too. He gets to play the Dad card with you finally and I think he likes it." She said grinning.

"Just don't let him scare him away okay please Mom? Use your magic voodoo that you do so well and have him be calm. I don't want him threatening Edward with a shotgun and a shovel."

Renee laughed. "I will do my best. But I can't guarantee that he won't get all fatherly. You know how he is."

"Yeah, well I will hope for the best then." I said, shaking my head.

Jessica and Lauren came in then. Jessica was wearing a too-tight red t-shirt that said "I'm just here for the boys" and a pair of dark blue jeans. Lauren was also in dark jeans but was wearing a blue t-shirt that said "I'm hotter than your girlfriend".

"Girls, where on earth did you get those shirts?" Renee asked, shaking her head and laughing.

"Spencer's in the Mall." Lauren answered.

"Bella, you need to get your stuff. We are leaving." Jessica said to me. Her voice was sweet but she was shooting me glares when Renee wasn't looking.

"Oh Bella already has a ride to school, girls. You can leave without her." Renee said.

Lauren and Jessica's eyes got as big as saucers.

"Who?" Lauren asked.

"The guy I met last night, Edward. He offered to take me to school today and I said yes."

Jessica's eyes narrowed for a second and she opened her mouth to speak but closed it when she remembered that Renee was in the kitchen.

"Bella, I think your ride is here." Renee said pointing out the window. "Wow, you're right. He is _gorgeous_! Way to go sweetie!" She said, winking at me.

I moved over to the window to look. Edward's Volvo was parked in front of the house and he was standing next to the passenger side, leaning back against the door. He had his hands in the pockets of his gray pea coat and his jean clad legs were crossed at the ankles. I could see that he was wearing a light blue button up shirt that was open to reveal a dark blue t-shirt underneath. He looked like he should be laid out across the pages of a magazine.

"Well don't keep him waiting silly." Renee said. She pushed me towards the door. I grabbed my backpack and stepped out onto the porch. Edward straightened his pose and gave me that crooked grin that made me all weak in the knees. He turned and gestured towards the Volvo dramatically.

"Your chariot awaits mi'lady." He said.

I laughed and made my way carefully down the walkway to the car. Edward watched my progress with an amused expression.

"Wow I think a snail just passed you in the fast lane Bella." He said laughing.

"Ha ha. I told you I was clumsy. I have some permanent scars from this concrete, thank you very much. I think my butt spends more time on it than my feet do." I said wryly and he laughed. I was only a foot or two away from the car when my feet slipped out from under me and I felt myself falling. But before I could hit the ground a pair of strong arms were locked around my waist and hauling me upwards. I found myself held tight to Edward's chest and when I looked up at him he was staring down at me. Electricity seemed to pass through us as our gazes locked. I turned crimson as all the blood in my body rushed to my face.

"See what I mean?" I said softly.

He chuckled and released me, reluctantly it seemed. "Well I guess I need to add rescuer of damsels in distress to my already outrageously long list of admirable qualities." He grinned at me.

I chuckled. "I'll bet modest and self-effacing are not on that list."

"Probably somewhere near the very bottom." He laughed.

He reached down and picked up my backpack where it had fallen and opened the passenger side door. He tossed my bag in the backseat then held the door open for me to get in. I sat down and buckled my seatbelt as Edward closed the door and moved around to the driver's side. He slid inside and started the car.

I pointed him in the direction of the high school and we were on our way.

"Emmett and Jasper are following in the Jeep behind us." He said. I craned my neck around and saw a big red Jeep following a little ways behind us.

"United front against the small town folks huh?" I asked and he grinned.

"Something like that. You said that they would treat us like a science experiment and we figured it was better to do it together."

"Well that works out for me too because I want you all to meet Alice and Rosalie. They are my best friends. I think everyone will really hit it off." I said.

"What are they like? Alice and Rosalie?"

"Well Alice is…well, she's kind of like giving a six year old espresso. Really hyperactive a lot of the time. She can be very cunning when it comes to accomplishing a goal but she is the sweetest most caring person I have ever met. And she is super tiny. She makes me look like the Jolly Green Giant." He laughed at that.

"She must be microscopic then because you are practically pint-sized." He looked over at me and grinned.

"You know you are the second person to make fun of me today for being short. Not all of us can be freakishly tall you know." I mock glared.

"Freakishly tall? I'll have you know that 6'1 is a perfectly respectable height. Some would even call it manly." He puffed out his chest and pointed his nose in the air pompously.

I had to laugh. "Ok so I am jealous of your legs. You caught me." I said.

He glanced down at my legs before looking me in the eye. "I happen to like your legs very much." He said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ok Mr. Charming, if you are not careful you are going to miss the turn for the school." I said, rolling my eyes playfully.

"So what is Rosalie like?" He asked.

I sighed. "Hmm, well the best word for Rose is intimidating. She is absolutely gorgeous, like a model or something, but she couldn't care less. She is fierce in everything she does, love, hate or otherwise. But she is very sweet and loving on the inside. Just don't tell her I said that." I said laughing.

"Hmm what will you give me for not telling her?" He asked, grinning provocatively.

"Blackmail will get you nowhere. Flattery however…" I trailed off, laughing.

He laughed and made the turn into the school.

"Park over there, next to the red car." I said, pointing to where Alice and Rose were already parked.

"The Beemer? Whose car is that?" He asked, impressed.

"Rose's. Her dad is a big shot lawyer and her mom is an interior designer." I said shrugging.

We parked and Emmett's Jeep rumbled into the empty spot next to us.

I got out and Alice and Rose immediately made their way to my side. Edward got out and moved over to speak to Emmett and Jasper quietly. Alice looked at Edward and her eyes got wide.

"Bella he is gorgeous. Wow. You are so lucky." She whispered. Rose nodded her head in agreement.

"I know. Now come on and I will introduce you to Emmett and Jasper."

We walked around the back of the Volvo to where Edward, Emmett and Jasper were standing.

"Edward, Jasper, Emmett. These are my best friends, Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale." I said gesturing. "Alice, Rose, this is Edward and Emmett Cullen and Jasper Whitlock."

"Hello." Rose said. I looked at a suspiciously quiet Alice and she was staring at Jasper intently. When I looked over Jasper was looking at her with the same intensity. I caught Edward's eye and saw that he noticed too but he just shrugged.

Rose was looking at Emmett appraisingly and I could tell that she liked what she saw. Emmett stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open staring at her. Rose broke their silence.

"Ohh is that the new Wrangler Unlimited with the 3.8 V6 and reinforced front and rear axels?" She asked. Emmett stared for a second before nodding mutely. Rose walked over to the Jeep and bent down to look in the wheel well and Emmett waved me over. I moved to his side and he bent to whisper in my ear.

"Please tell me she is single." He said desperately.

I laughed and nodded and his grin was huge.

He turned back to where Rose was standing.

"Do you want to check out under the hood?" He asked and Rose nodded enthusiastically. Emmett popped the hood open and I could hear them speaking softly as they looked at the engine.

I moved over to stand next to Edward.

"I told you they were going to hit it off." I said.

He looked down at me and smiled. "You called it alright." He laughed, shaking his head.

"Ok guys, huddle up." I called.

Edward and I were standing at the back of his Volvo and everyone moved to stand around us.

"First, the guys have to go to the office to get their schedules from Mrs. Cope. I figure we go with you boys to make sure you get checked in then we can help you find your classes if you like. Then we can all meet up and sit together at lunch. Sound good?" I looked at everyone in turn and they all nodded.

"Ok great. Well let's get this show on the road." When we turned towards the school I realized that "show" was a good analogy. Everyone was staring at us. Well they were staring at the guys. We just happened to be in the way. Since we were the outcasts and all.

We all walked in groups of two towards the office. Emmett and Rose led the way, Emmett's arm around Rose's shoulder. Normally she would kidney punch a guy for that but she didn't seem to mind this time. Alice and Jasper were next. Alice had her arm linked in Jasper's and they could not seem to keep from looking at each other every few seconds. Alice had not spoken a word since she had laid eyes on him.

Edward and I brought up the rear. He walked with his hand on the small of my back and I could feel my skin tingle at the contact, even through my clothes.

Every _girl_ in a twenty foot radius was watch them, admiring. Every _boy_ in a twenty foot radius was eyeing them, calculating their competition.

Poor boys. None could stand up against the perfection of the three guys.

Poor girls. The guys had already seemed to make their choice.

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Edward's POV

I had to admit that I had been nervous about picking Bella up for school this morning. I don't know why. But I did know that it had been less than twelve hours since I had seen her and I wanted to see her again. Watching her walk towards my car at that ridiculously slow pace had been adorable. Then when she slipped and I held her against me I had felt an electric current pass between us and my thoughts had become decidedly R rated.

I was amazed at how easy she was to talk to and banter back and forth with. I had never really met a girl who could stand toe to toe with me like she could. She always gave as good as she got.

We pulled into the school and I have to say I was impressed by Rosalie's M3. I was actually jealous for a moment. I loved my car but that was one sweet ride she had there. I saw two girls standing next to the car and had to assume that they were Alice and Rosalie. The short one, who I had to assume was Alice, had black hair that spiked out in every direction and big green eyes the color of peridot. She was incredibly petite. Rosalie was beautiful like Bella said but in a magazine cover kind of way. She had long golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She had the body of a swimsuit model but she seemed _too _perfect. Definitely not my type.

I looked over at Bella then. She was wearing a blue shirt that really brought out the beauty of her complexion. She had worn her hair down again and it flowed like a chocolate river down her back. I really _really_ wanted to run my fingers through it to see if it was a soft as it looked but we had not quite progressed that far in our relationship. I couldn't wait until we did though.

I looked at the guys to see what their reactions were to meeting Bella's friends. Emmett of course looked like a complete tool with his mouth hanging open, staring at Rosalie. She was checking him out too. I thought he was going to have an aneurism when she started "talking car" to him. He was a goner. Rosalie had him wrapped around her finger already.

Jasper didn't say much, which was his norm, but I had never seen him look at a girl like he was staring at Alice. It was like a man seeing the sun for the first time. Blinded by the brilliance but unable to look away. Alice seemed just as affected. Bella noticed too but I didn't have an explanation to give her. We would just have to see where this all went.

We all agreed to Bella's plan to check in and then meet at lunch. I couldn't wait. I didn't know how many classes I would have with her and if I didn't have any then lunch would be the only time I got to see her for the rest of the day. I swear I was becoming such a girl but surprisingly I didn't really mind as long as I got to spend time with Bella.

As we walked towards the office I kept my hand on Bella's back. I didn't want her to trip of course but I also wanted to stake my claim on her. Caveman I know but I wanted all the other jerks at this school to know where my interest lay.

Bella was right too about being under a microscope. Everyone was staring at us. Correction. The girls were staring, some openly leering. The guys were looking us over, trying to decide if we were going to home in on their action. Too bad for them. We had all made our choices and they missed out on three beautiful girls.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella's POV

We all walked into the small administration office together. Mrs. Cope looked up, apparently startled by the large group of teenagers that appeared before her.

"Mrs. Cope?" I said, moving to stand in front of everyone. "These are the new students. They need to sign in and get their class schedules."

Mrs. Cope nodded her head and scrounged around on her desk until she found the papers she was looking for. She didn't need to be told that these were the Cullens. News travels fast in a small town.

"Emmett Cullen?" She called out.

"Yo." Emmett called and stepped forward. Mrs. Cope looked up and up at him before blinking and handing him his paperwork. Emmett _was _intimidating in stature.

"Jasper Whitlock." Jasper raised his hand and stepped forward. She passed him his stuff then turned towards Edward.

"I would assume then that you are Edward. Here you go dear. Now all of you need to have that sheet signed by all of your teachers and bring it back here at the end of the day. Now run along before you are late." She turned back to her desk and we all walked out of the office.

"Okay let's see everyone's schedule so we can figure out who has what class with whom." I said.

As it turned out I had first period English and fifth period Biology with Edward. Jasper and I had fourth period American History together. I had no classes with Emmett since he was a senior and I was only a junior. Rose was a senior too and she and Emmett had English and Gym together. I bet Emmett was loving the opportunity to show off for Rose in Gym class. Alice and Jasper had second period English and sixth period Trigonometry together. Alice looked like she was in heaven. I had third period Art with Alice and I was going to ask her what the hell was up with her.

Alice and Jasper moved off towards Jasper's first class. Emmett and Rose moved off in the opposite direction.

"Looks like it's just you and me, hot stuff." I said, winking at Edward. He burst out laughing and gestured for me to lead the way.

I had to stop at my locker before class to exchange my books. When we walked down the hallway everyone's eyes were on Edward. He kept his hand on my back as we walked and I have to say, I was really digging it. I felt protected. We stopped at my locker and Edward leaned back against them while I opened mine.

"Just let Mrs. Cope know what locker number you want and she will give you the combination when you turn in your slip this afternoon." I said. I grabbed my English book and my art pad and closed my locker. Edward straightened up and turned towards me.

"Who has this locker?" He asked, pointing to the one to the left of mine.

"No one, I think." I said, shrugging.

"Then that one is mine." He said smiling.

I was smiling back at him when I felt an arm move across my shoulders. I did not have to turn to see who it was. Edward's smile slipped from his face.

I shrugged out from underneath the offending arm and turned into the smiling face of Mike Newton.

Mike was annoying to say the least. He had a reputation among the girls of Forks High as being…handsy. I had overheard a girl who had gone on a date with him say that he had turned into an octopus at the end of the date. She'd had to smack him across the face before he had gotten the message.

"Mike." I said, speaking slowly to him like he was a child. "What did I say about touching me?"

He looked confused for a moment then laughed. "Oh yeah, you said you would break my hand or my nose or something. But I know you were not serious." He laughed condescendingly.

"What makes you think I am not serious?" I asked, frowning. How dimwitted was this guy? I had told him time and again to keep his hands to himself and time and again he put his arm on me.

"I mean look at you Bella. You are so little. You couldn't hurt _me_." He said smugly.

"Would you like me to demonstrate?" I asked. Mike burst out laughing and I gritted my teeth.

"Perhaps the lesson would be better received if I was the one giving it." Edward said.

He moved so that he was standing next to me, his hands clenched into fists at his side. His eyes were practically shooting laser beams into Mike.

Mike craned his neck upwards to look at Edward. He was several inches shorter than him and though he played sports he seemed to lack the muscular stature that Edward had. Mike did a quick 'guy to guy' assessment and realized that he was out of his league. He held up his hands in surrender.

"N-no. I mean, no lesson needed. Sorry Bella." He mumbled before making his escape.

I turned to look at Edward. He was watching Mike's progress down the hall with narrowed eyes. Then he turned to look at me and his gaze instantly softened.

"Sorry about that. But he didn't seem to be getting the message." He shrugged sheepishly.

"It's okay. I guess being freakishly tall comes in handy sometimes huh?" I asked, grinning.

"I _told_ you it was manly."

We walked into our English class and instantly all eyes were on Edward. I introduced him to the teacher then made my way to the seat in the back. Fortunately there was only one empty seat in the class and it was right next to me. The teacher gave Edward his text book and motioned for him to sit down.

"Ms. Swan, I'm going to have you bring Mr. Cullen up to date with everything that we have covered so far. His future is in your hands." Mr. Manning said, smiling.

I nodded my agreement and looked over at Edward who was watching me with mock wariness.

"You _are_ actually good at this class right?" He asked.

"Dear sir, you cut me to the quick." I said placing my hand over my heart in feigned distress.

"Wow, glad that you haven't chosen acting as your profession." He grinned and turned back to the front of the class where Mr. Manning was calling roll before beginning his lecture.

I was surprised when a sheet of paper was slid in front of me a few moments later. I looked down to see some of the most beautiful penmanship I had ever seen, all scrolls and curls.

_**You were right about the stares. That was weird. They act like they have never seen a new person before. Who was the last new kid here?**_

I scrawled my reply, hating how childish my handwriting looked next to his.

_Me, four years ago_

He smiled at my response and wrote a quick reply.

_**You have terrible handwriting you know that?**_

I grimaced and wrote back.

_Of course I know. We can't __all__ have perfect penmanship Mr. Cullen_

_**You can at least **__**try **__**to make it look like English though.**_

_Oh I forgot how to laugh. Teachers go through years of vigorous training to learn how to decipher handwriting. Wouldn't want all that work to go to waste._

_**So, what is up with that Mike guy? Old boyfriend?**_

_Yeah right, he wishes_

_**Sure looked like he did**_

_Mike has a reputation for being a "hands on" kind of guy. I really am going to have to break his nose one day_

_**Well let me know if he ever gets "hands on" with you and I will save you the trouble.**_

I had to smile. He sounded jealous. I was surprised and pleased.

_Still saving damsels in distress huh?_

_**Only the beautiful brown eyed ones**_

The teacher called everyone's attention then and I did not have a chance to reply. I tucked the note into my notebook.

All through English I was hyper-aware of Edward sitting next to me. He would brush my arm every once in a while as he made his notes. Tingles would race up and down my arm and I would get goose bumps. I would look up at him out of the corner of my eye and find him smiling while looking at me out of the corner of his eye. Of course I would blush immediately and quickly turn back to my notes, smiling to myself.

About five minutes before the bell rang Mr. Manning left us to talk amongst ourselves.

"So I don't get to see you again till lunch?" Edward said, mock pouting.

"I think you will survive." I said laughing.

"I doubt it. I never understood the attraction that anonymity had until now. You said they would all stare at us but I didn't really believe you I guess." He shrugged.

"You have to understand that nothing exciting really ever happens here. So take a small town, stir in three handsome new guys that no one knows that much about, add in your typical high school craziness and shake well. Presto! Instant drama."

He gave me a sly look.

"Handsome huh?" He asked smiling.

"Well you have to admit Emmett is a good looking guy." I said grinning.

"Hmmph." He said, crossing his arms and looking away, his nose pointed in the air.

I nudged him with my elbow until he looked at me. I leaned over and whispered in his ear. "But he has nothing on you."

He grinned and opened his mouth to speak but the bell rang and he didn't get the chance.

I walked him down the hall to his next class.

"You are on your own from here, hot stuff. After second period my next class is on the other side of campus and I won't have time to walk you."

"Well good thing I put on my big boy pants today." He grinned. "I think I can manage. See you at lunch then?"

"Of course. The cafeteria is in that building." I said, pointing. "Our table is on the left, near the back. It's not hard to spot."

He nodded. "Ok. Got it. See you then."

"Okay bye." I gave a little wave and turned around to make my way back down the hallway to my next class.

My second period class flew by and as soon as the bell rang I booked it out of there. I wanted to get to Art early so I could talk to Alice about what was up with her and Jasper. I rounded the corner into the hallway and saw them both standing next to the door to the art classroom. Alice was leaning back against the wall and Jasper was standing in front of her, quite close I might add. Alice was looking up into his face and I watched as Jasper reached out and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Jasper turned away then, walking back in my direction on his way to his next class. When he saw me he smiled and I looked pointedly at Alice before looking back at him and winking. His smile got even bigger and he winked back at me. He patted me on the shoulder as he passed me and continued down the hall, oblivious to the stares of the people around him.

I walked up to Alice who had her head resting against the wall, tilting upwards and a dreamy expression on her elfin face.

"Alice?" I said. She turned to look at me, beaming.

"Oh. My. God. Bella. Oh my God, oh my God, ohmyGod! It's amazing! Wonderful! Stupendous! I can't believe it!" She was bouncing in place.

"Whoa Alice! Did you swallow a thesaurus or something? What is going on with you and Jasper? You didn't even say one word this morning." I said, dragging her into the classroom. Fortunately it was almost completely empty.

"Oh Bella, I can't even describe it but when I looked into Jasper's eyes this morning it was like I _knew_. I just _knew_ we were meant to be together. I saw it all play out in my head, like a vision or something. Us together through high school and college and eventually getting married. The connection between us is so strong. And he feels it too. He doesn't talk much but he said enough for me to understand that he felt the pull between us just like I did." Alice's eyes were sparkling and she looked happier than I had ever seen her. Even more than she did on Black Friday every year.

I reached out and hugged her.

"Alice I am so happy for you. I talked to Jasper for a little while last night and he seems like a really nice guy. Very smart and witty in a quiet way. I think you both will be very happy together."

"Thank you so much Bella. Now, tell me about you and Edward. Any sparks flying there?" She asked slyly.

I blushed. "I _think _so. I mean we are flirting a lot back and forth and he called me beautiful. And I thought he was going to beat the shit out of Mike today when he came up and put his arm around me."

"Ooh I bet he was jealous. How wonderful. Do you like him?"

"Yes I do. It's funny; you know how I am usually around hot guys. I end up becoming completely mute and transfixed with my shoelaces. But I can talk and joke with him and it's not awkward or anything. We just seem to click."

"Yay! Bella that is great! You look good together too. And he seems to have eyes for only you too. This is amazing. From the way Emmett and Rose were looking this morning it won't be long until they are a couple. Who would have thought that in the space of a day we would all find such totally hot guys? Thank God Charlie made you go out last night with the bitch twins."

"I never thought I would ever thank him for something like that but I have to admit I would probably have not met Edward and the guys otherwise." Thank you Fate for putting your hand in where it definitely belonged.

Class started then and we did not have another chance to talk until it was over and we were leaving the classroom.

"Jasper is in my next class you know?" I asked slyly.

"I know and I hate you. I want to be in that class too." She pouted. Then she laughed. "Just put in a good word for me Bells."

"I'll put in ten good words for you and some very well placed adjectives too. Though I am sure he already can tell how amazing you are." I smiled.

Alice threw her arms around me. "Thank you so much Bella! Now go and tell my future husband I said hello." She turned me toward the exit and pushed me, gently. Alice knew how clumsy I was.

I made my way to American History to find Jasper standing next to the door, leaning against the doorjamb. I wondered if he was waiting for me and got my answer when he followed me in the door with a small smile. He slid into the empty seat next to me, having already turned his slip in to the teacher. He immediately turned to me and looked at me expectantly.

I looked up at him and smiled without saying anything. I could feel the impatience rolling off of him.

"So…?" He said finally.

"So what?" I said smiling. He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Did she say anything about me?" It was adorable how anxious he was. Jasper was a man of few words and to see him so worked up about Alice was sweet.

"I assume you mean Alice?" I said grinning slyly.

"_Bellllaa_!"

I laughed at his eagerness then relented. "You know you rendered her speechless this morning right? I didn't think that was physically possible but you did. That is amazing right there. She likes you Jasper. I'm sure you knew that already though."

Jasper relaxed back into his seat. "I mean I was pretty sure she did but it helps to know for sure. Bella, I felt like I had been hit with a cattle prod or something this morning. I looked at her and it was like the last puzzle piece being put into place. She is amazing. Beautiful, funny, sweet. I have never met anyone so full of _life_." He looked off towards the front of the classroom but I knew that he was not seeing any of it.

"You do realize that that is the most I have ever heard you say at one time?" I laughed.

He looked over at me sheepishly and shrugged.

Mr. McDowell called the class to order then and we did not have time to talk again. Jasper slid a piece of paper in front of me a minute later.

_**So she likes me? Really?**_

_Trust me, she does. But I will tell you right now if you hurt her I will break your nose._

_**I would never do anything to hurt her. Can you really break my nose or is that an empty threat? =)**_

_I can really do it. I almost had to this morning because a guy here can't take keep his hands to himself. Edward stepped in before I had to though._

_**Speaking of Edward, what the hell did you do to him?**_

_What do you mean?_

_**He is happier today than I have ever seen him. Do you like him?**_

_Yes_

_**Now who is the one of few words? =)**_

_Ok ok I really like him. Happy?_

_**Well whatever you guys talked about last night did something to him. He came home a new guy. **_

Mr. McDowell called our attention to the front again and there was no further opportunity to pass notes.

I sat there wondering what Jasper meant. Edward and I had talked about a lot of things last night, the only notable thing being about being adopted. But I didn't see how that could cause the change in Edward that Jasper was talking about. I would just have to ask Edward and see what he said about it.

The bell rang and Jasper and I gathered our books.

"Are you walking with me to lunch?" I asked as we were walking towards the door.

"No, we are going to meet you girls there. I think the others want to present a united front against all the stares we seem to be getting today." He laughed softly.

"Alright, I will see you there then. We sit in the back on the left. I'm sure you will see Alice there." I said winking.

He laughed quietly and walked towards Edward's fourth period class.

I made my way towards the cafeteria, picking up Alice and Rosalie along the way. We made our way through the line and sat at our usual table. It was in the corner away from most of the other tables and we were the only ones who sat there, being the social rejects. It gave an excellent view of the entire cafeteria, especially to a people watcher like me. I told the girls that the guys would be joining us in a few minutes and they nodded, switching their seats around so each of us had an empty chair next to us.

Edward, Emmett and Jasper walked in a few minutes later and paused in the doorway, looking for our table. This was the first time the whole student body had gotten a real look at them and you could feel the excitement as it rippled through the room. Everyone was silent for the space of a second and then the noise in the room picked back up, except now with a lot more whispering behind hands.

Girls sat up straighter and smoothed their hair or checked their makeup in mirrors. Guys tightened their arms around their girlfriends, marking their territory. Edward spotted us first and started towards us, that sinful grin on his face.

I swear that man should have his own theme music playing every time he walked.

Bowm Chicka Wow Wow

Girls at the tables that they passed would perk up, hoping that they were going to sit down, only to visibly deflate as the guys walked by. I think everyone in the room gasped when they sat down at our table.

The boys sat down the empty chairs and we were seated boy girl boy girl. From left to right it was Rose, Emmett, me, Edward, Alice and then Jasper.

Jasper immediately took Alice's hand in his and she leaned against his shoulder looking like a contented cat.

Emmett dropped his arm across Rose's shoulder and she reached up with her right hand to play with his fingers absentmindedly.

Edward placed his arm across the back of my chair and I felt his hand dip into my hair, curling it around his fingers. I smiled up at him and he smiled back and began sliding his hands through the length of my hair. He bent his head towards mine and whispered in my ear.

"I have been wanting to do that all day." He pulled his head back and smiled at me.

I blushed and smiled back up at him.

"Likewise." I blurted, and then blushed again.

He laughed softly at my pink cheeks and turned sideways in his chair so that he was facing me.

"Feel free." He grinned, bending his head down towards me a little.

I reached up and plunged my hands into his hair. It was amazingly soft and silky and I twirled my fingers through it and tugged slightly. I ran my fingernails across his scalp and he sighed in pleasure. I looked over to see Alice and Jasper grinning at me and I reluctantly pulled my hands from his hair. Looking out into the cafeteria I saw several girls staring at me open-mouthed, envy written across their faces.

Edward lifted he head up and grinned at me.

"Next time I have trouble sleeping I am going to kidnap you and bring you back to my house." He said, smirking. "That is really relaxing." His hair was sticking up all over the place and I ran my hands over it to smooth it down a little. Edward closed his eyes as my fingers ran through his hair.

Rose piped up then. "If you like that Edward you should get her to rub your back for you. She has magical hands." I looked over at Rose and she winked at me.

Several images of Edward without a shirt on, lying in front of me as I massaged his back, my hands gliding over his muscles, burst into my brain and I blushed.

Edward saw the blush and raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm, magic hands? I might just have to take you up on that." He said thoughtfully but there was mischief dancing in his eyes.

Suddenly a high pitched squeal from across the lunch room drew out attention and we all looked over to see Tanya Denali standing next to her usual table.

"Who is that?" Edward asked.

"_That_ is Tanya Denali, Queen of Forks High." I sighed. Tanya was model-type beautiful with long strawberry blonde hair and sea green eyes. She had a body that any Hollywood starlet would pay big money for. She was tall with a slender but curvy figure. In fact she was almost, but not quite, as beautiful as Rose. Both of them knew it and Tanya despised Rose because of it. Rose hated Tanya too, not because she was beautiful but because of the way Tanya treated me.

"The Queen of Forks High?" Emmett asked. "How did she get that title?"  
"She is the typical high school cliché." I said. "She's beautiful, has a wealthy family, is head cheerleader and senior class president."  
"Not to mention an ŭber bitch." Alice stated.

"Ŭber bitch?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, she says a lot of hateful things." Alice said, looking at me intently. It was true, Tanya did say a lot of nasty things to me but I didn't care. Everything she said just reinforced what a horrible person she was. And I did not have the same reservations that I did with Jessica and Lauren so I gave as good as I got.

Edward noticed Alice's expression and looked over at me.

"Does she say hateful things to you Bella?" He asked, concerned.

I shrugged. "Sometimes."

Rose snorted. "Sometimes my ass. How about daily?"

Edward narrowed his eyes. "Daily? What kinds of things does she say?"

I laughed humorlessly. "Let's just say that she makes Jessica look like a kitten who poops rainbows in comparison."

Edward looked angry at that, clearly remembering what Jessica had said to me last night.

Emmett laughed loudly at my comment, drawing several people's stares, including Tanya's. She whipped her head in our direction and her eyes narrowed. She turned to say something to her table before starting to walk over in our direction.

"Well you will get a chance to see for yourselves. Here she comes now." Alice said.

Tanya sauntered towards us and as she got nearer I could see the extra sway she put in her hips. She raked the boys up and down, her eyes hungry, before she sent death glares at each of us girls.

Edward's arm dropped from the back of the chair to slide around my back, his hand resting lightly on my waist. He scooted his chair over a little closer to mine. I was shocked but very pleased. My back was tingling from the contact and I relaxed back against his arm. _I could get used to feeling his arm around me, _I thought.

Tanya stopped in front of our table and looked down at us.

"Are you lost Denali?" Rose sneered.

Tanya looked over at Rose and rolled her eyes. "You should feel privileged that I came over to speak to you in the first place, Hale." She sneered.

"Oh thank you Tanya for bestowing such an honor on us." Rose said sarcastically.

"Whatever. I just came to talk to the new guys anyway." She said. She looked at each of them in turn and her gaze zeroed in on Edward. Her expression was coy.

"You're new, so no one told you that this is the loser's table. You guys should be over there." She pointed to her usual table where all her cronies were watching us. "You are too good to be sitting with these rejects."

Edward's arm tightened around my waist and his voice was menacing as he spoke. "I'm sure I speak for my friend and my brother when I say that we are exactly where we want to be." Emmett and Jasper nodded in unison. "It looks like the loser's table is across the way over there, where you just came from." Edward said.

Tanya's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared at the insult. "I'll have you know that _my_ table is the most popular table _at_ this school. These lowlifes should not even be breathing the same air as us. They are nothing, less than nothing." She tossed her hair back over her shoulder as she spoke.

"I agree with you." Jasper said quietly. Everyone's heads turned in his direction in shock and Tanya looked smug. Until Jasper finished his sentence.

"They shouldn't be breathing the same air as you because they might be contaminated by you and your repulsive friends." Alice beamed at him and he winked at her.

Tanya gasped and then tried another tactic. She could see that insults were not working so she decided to go another way. Her gaze instantly became smoldering and she leaned forward and placed her hands on the table, giving a good view of her cleavage.

"Oh come on now. I'm sure you will get to have a _lot_ more fun over there with me." She said in a husky voice.

"The only thing he will get from you is an STD Tanya." Rose said scathingly.

Tanya stood up straight, furious.

"Fuck you Hale." She sneered.

"Switching over to the other side Tanya? I don't blame you since you have fucked just about every guy at this school. Sorry sweetie, I'm hetero. You will have to look elsewhere." Rose scoffed.

Everyone at the table laughed and I reached out and bumped fists with Rose. Tanya's gaze narrowed on me.

"What the fuck are you laughing at Swan? You have no room to talk. Everyone knows you have never even had a boyfriend. You couldn't get a guy to fuck you if you tied him down to the bed."

I felt Edward tense beside me but I spoke before he could open his mouth.

"So you think I should be like you Tanya? Your legs are open more than the 7/11." I said derisively.

"Like an ugly bitch like you could ever get a man anyway. There are not enough paper bags in the world for that."

"Just because I don't fuck every guy who tries to get me drunk and tells me I'm pretty doesn't mean I can't get a guy. Please." I rolled my eyes.

"Like a guy would ever tell you you're pretty Swan. Pathetic maybe but not pretty."

"I think she is beautiful and I think you should leave." Edward said. He reached over and hauled me into his lap, my back against his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder and looked at Tanya. "I would say that your welcome is officially worn out, as I am sure other parts of you are too." Edward said.

Emmett laughed loudly as Tanya huffed and stomped away.

"God, what a bitch." Emmett said, laughing and shaking his head.

"That was her being nice." Alice said.

Edward spoke, his breath rolling across my neck. I suppressed a shiver.

"Why does she hate you so much Bella? What did you ever do to her?"

I shrugged, my back brushing against his chest.

"You know why, Bella. Dave Summers? Ring a bell?" Rose asked.

Edward tensed beneath me. "Who is Dave Summers?" He asked.

I opened my mouth but Alice beat me to the punch.

"Dave Summers was Tanya's boyfriend last year. Even though he was a sophomore and she was a junior they were a pretty hot thing. Then Dave broke up with her to ask Bella out. Bella said no but the damage was done. _No one_ breaks up with Tanya. Especially for someone that she sees as below her social strata."

"What happened to Dave?" Jasper asked. He was looking at Edward as he spoke.

I nodded to a table across the cafeteria. "He's sitting over there, with Jessica and Lauren at their table. When he broke up with Tanya she banned him from her table so now he sits with the BB." Dave was staring at our table.

"What's the BB?" Emmett asked.

Rose and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"The Bitch Brigade." Rose said, grinning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edwards's POV

_This is the most surreal day ever, _I thought as Bella and I sat together in the lunchroom. Well she was sitting on my lap. I still could not believe that I had done that. But when Tanya started to lay into Bella I had such a strong urge to protect and defend her and I had acted without thinking. Bella did not seem to mind and I was glad, though having her on my lap was not doing anything for my composure.

She would move every once in a while to grab her drink or to talk to Alice or Rose and her motions went straight to my groin. When she leaned over to grab something off her tray I took the opportunity to put her back in her chair. I had to move her or I would never be able to walk to Biology without a strategically placed notebook when the bell rang.

She looked up at me with a question in her eyes.

"You need to eat and my leg was falling asleep." I said, grinning.

She laughed. "Don't blame me for that, mister. You are the one hauling me around like a sack of potatoes."

"Well you are the prettiest sack of potatoes I have ever seen." I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"When I said flattery would get you somewhere that is not quite what I meant." She said giggling.

"A guy can try." I said, shrugging.

A few minutes later the bell rang and I grabbed Bella's tray to throw her half-eaten food away. I frowned. I would have to make sure not to keep her from eating again. She was already so tiny.

Bella waited for me and we walked to Biology together. I noticed the stares were even more prevalent now, with some shooting glares at Bella this time. I guess I _had_ stated my preference rather forcefully in the lunchroom. I didn't know what it is about this girl that made me act like a caveman half the time, but I had the strong desire to toss her over my shoulder and make sure that every one knew that she was mine.

My thoughts surprised me. When did I start thinking of her as mine? I guess I _had_ already been acting like it. First with Mike this morning in the hall and then with Tanya in the cafeteria.

Mike. When he had put his arm across her shoulder this morning all I had wanted to do was rip that arm off. I was grateful that Bella had no interest in him and had not taken me to task for acting like a Neanderthal, threatening to hurt Mike for her.

Then Tanya had come up and started spewing her venom at Bella and I wanted to wrap her up in my arms and shield her from all the malice pouring out of Tanya. I could not believe some of the things she was saying to Bella, all because of something that had happened last year.

Hmmm. Dave Summers. I saw him looking at us across the cafeteria after Bella pointed him out. I guess he was good looking. I mean I could see why Tanya liked him. He looked like a jock. Muscular looking with blonde hair. Not as big as Emmett though. He had stared at Bella for the rest of the lunch hour and I hadn't liked it. Though Alice had said that Bella had turned him down when he asked her out and that made me feel better.

I didn't have time to examine my feelings anymore because we were walking into Biology. I was elated when I noticed that the only empty seat was the one next to where Bella was sitting. I put my stuff down and walked up to the teacher to turn in my slip. He signed it and gave it back to me along with my textbook. I turned around to walk back to my seat only to grimace when I realized that not only Mike but Dave as well were in this class with us.

Mike was sitting on the edge of the table that Bella was sitting at and she didn't look happy. This guy did not seem to be able to take a hint. I walked over to the table and sat down on the stool. Mike took one look at me and made a hasty retreat and Bella turned to smile at me.

"Thanks. I swear that guy is denser than concrete." She smiled.

"Probably because that is what his head is filled with." I quipped.

Bella laughed out loud and I saw Dave whip his head around at the sound. I couldn't quite name the look in his eyes but if I had to guess I would say longing. He still had it bad for her, I could tell. Damn. It looked like I was going to have to start beating the guys off with a stick.

Class started and I could already tell that this was something I had already studied in Chicago. In fact most of my classes were a little behind the curriculum that I had already gone through at my old school. I didn't mind in this class because it gave me more opportunity to talk to Bella.

I slid a note over to her when the teacher wasn't looking.

_**Are you okay from what happened at lunch?**_

_Sure, Tanya doesn't bother me. _

_**Is she really so evil to you just because she thinks you stole her boyfriend?**_

_Yes. She is pretty possessive. And the ironic thing is that I wouldn't touch Dave with a ten foot pole. He is an asshole._

I did a happy dance on the inside when I read her response.

_**From the way he is staring I don't think he got the message.**_

_I know. I wonder why these guys can't seem to take a hint. _

_**Maybe because you are so pretty they don't **__**want**__** to give up?**_

She blushed when she read that and looked up at me. She shook her head. The teacher started in on his lecture and note passing time was over.

When the bell rang I got up and stepped a little closer to Bella. She did not see me and when she stood up our chests were almost touching. She jumped a little at the proximity and her foot caught on the stool. She started to fall and I reached out quickly and caught her, hauling her into my chest. She looked up at me and our eyes locked for what seemed like forever. Then her cheeks turned that gorgeous pink and I had to grin.

"I think saving you from danger is going to be a full time job."

She blushed again before looking up at me challengingly. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Her arms were still locked around my waist and I had my arms around her as well, one on the small of her back and one between her shoulder blades. Our bodies were locked together and I bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Oh I'm quite sure I'm up for it." I said softly. Bella gasped and then giggled as I set her back on her feet, holding her shoulders until she was steady.

She still looked a little flustered as we turned to walk out of the classroom.

"What is your next class?" I asked.

She groaned. "Ugh Gym. I wonder how many people I am going to maim in there today." She said in despair.

I could not help laughing. "Let's hope not too many. So, I'll see you after?"

"I hope so, since you are my ride." She smiled.

"Oh right, how could I have forgotten that?" I said in mock confusion. "Well, I'd tell you to be careful but I don't think it would make much difference." I laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "Next time I wish someone would tell me that it was 'Pick on Bella Day'. I would have worn body armor."

I knew she was only joking but I instantly felt bad. It seemed like everyone was always picking on her and she took it all so well, letting it roll off her back and keeping a smile on her face.

We had made it to the Gym and I turned to her outside the door. She turned to face me and I put my finger under her chin and drew her gaze up to mine.

"Hey," I said softly. "You know I'm only joking when I say this stuff right?"

Her eyes instantly softened and she reached up to place her hand around my wrist, squeezing gently.

"I know. It's okay. I kind of like it actually. Keeps me from taking my self too seriously." She smiled up at me.

I nodded and she released my wrist. I missed the contact immediately.

"You better go or you are going to be late." She said softly.

"Yeah, I'd better. See you in a little while."

She nodded and turned into the Gym.

Sixth period was incredibly dull. I had already studied the material and the teacher talked like the guy in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I sat and doodled mostly until I looked down and realized that I had inadvertently drawn several pairs of large beautiful eyes. I crumbled the paper up so that no one would see it. I could just imagine the field day Emmett would have if he found it.

As soon as the bell rang I was up and out of the room. I could not believe how obsessed I was becoming. It seemed like when I was away from her all I could think about was Bella. Then when I _was_ with her I couldn't think of anything else. I had only known this girl for less than 24 hours for God's sake. If I was this captivated now there is no telling what state I would be in on Friday.

I made it to the Gym as Bella was walking out. She spotted me and gave me a big smile before walking over to meet me.

"Guess what? I didn't cause anyone grievous bodily harm!" She said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"That's great. Did they make you sit out then?" I said laughing. She nudged me with her elbow playfully and tripped, even though there was nothing on the sidewalk. I caught her and brought her up against my side, my arm wrapped around her waist.

I shook my head, laughing at her. "I thought you were joking about the tripping on lint thing but I see you were serious. I am going to hold on to you until we get to the car to make sure that you don't end up with a concussion." I held her to my side as we walked.

"I don't mind." She said smiling and her cheeks turned pink.

We made it to my car and Bella stopped to talk to Alice and Rose who were already there. I turned to Jasper and Emmett who were watching the girls. I joined them, watching Bella as she spoke animatedly with Alice and Rose.

Em, Jazz and I looked at each other all at the same time.

"We're goners aren't we?" Emmett said, sighing heavily.

Jazz and I could only nod in agreement.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed my story! You guys rock hard! I am so glad that you are enjoying my story. There are some emotional things ahead and I hope Edward doesn't come off as too much of a pansy. But Bella has turned his life upside down and he is trying to sort everything out. Esme is going to help him out. Like one reviewer said he is kind of a momma's boy. But he and Esme have a special relationship. Emmett is her natural son but she understands Edward. They have developed their relationship to one where they can talk to each other very easily.**

**Also I need to clarify something. I keep refering to Lauren and Jessica as the bitch twins but they are not biological twins. Lauren is actually a year younger than Jessica but they are in the same grade because Lauren was allowed to skip fourth grade. Both Jessica and Lauren are intelligent but completely clueless about things at the same time. They are so absorbed in themselves that they fail to notice things that do not directly affect them. Lauren looks like her mother and Jessica takes after Charlie.**

**So here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! Reviewers get a date with Edward! :)**

Bella's POV

I said my goodbyes to Alice and Rose and got into Edward's car. He pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and we started on our way back to my house.

"So, how was your first day at Forks High?" I asked.

"Let's just say it was more interesting that I thought it would be." He said smiling.

"Oh?" I probed.

"Well let's see. The day started out great. I picked up a beautiful girl and drove her to school. I met her two best friends and watched as my brother and my best friend fell head over heels with them. I almost beat the shit out of a guy in the hallway before my first class. I was stared at like I was some sort of sideshow attraction. I got to sit with the beautiful girl at lunch again. Then I almost had to go against my entire nature and beat the shit out of a truly heinous bitch in the middle of the cafeteria. Then I got to drive my beautiful girl home. So all's well that ends well." He smiled at me.

I wonder if he realized that he went from saying _a_ beautiful girl to _my_ beautiful girl. I certainly wasn't going to correct him. I think he must have called me beautiful ten times today. Not that I was counting.

"So how was your day?" He asked with a smirk.

"Hmmm. Well I was picked up for school by a really handsome guy. I watched as my two best friends went gaa-gaa over his brother and best friend. I also almost beat the shit out of a guy in the hallway before a knight in shining armor stepped in for me. I learned that Jasper can string together more than two sentences at a time if he feels motivated enough. I got to sit with that same handsome guy at lunch and he let me run my fingers through his amazing hair. A spiteful bitch started talking shit about me and my friends before my knight kicked her to the curb. I managed to go through my entire Gym class without hurting myself or someone else. Now my handsome guy is driving me home. I didn't know you could have so much fun in one day." I smiled.

"I guess we both had interesting days." He said laughing. Then his brow furrowed as he watched the road. "What did you mean about Jasper?"

"Ask him how he feels about Alice when you get home and you will see what I mean."

"Ahh okay. I was wondering what the hell was up with him this morning. He didn't say anything to me, probably because there were so many people watching us."

"Well I don't know Jasper very well but I can tell that he has it bad for Alice. The best thing is that it is mutual. You realize he rendered her speechless this morning? I didn't even know you could do that to Alice." I laughed.

"Em and Rosalie seem to get along well too." He fished.

"Yeah, Rose is not as obvious about her affections as say Alice is but she is definitely interested. I could tell because she didn't kidney punch him or break his wrist when he put his arm around her shoulders."

"Has she done that before?" He asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes. I told you she was fierce. Jimmy Bell found out the hard way. She put him in a cast for putting his arm around her waist in the lunch line."

"_Damn_. Well good thing for Em that she seemed to like him. Though it would have been funny to see her put his big ass on the ground." He said chuckling.

We pulled up into my driveway and Edward turned the car off. I could see that no one else had made it home yet.

Edward turned to me and looked a little nervous. He ran his fingers through his hair and opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"Um, Bella? My mom wanted me to ask you something. You can say no if you feel uncomfortable or whatever, but she wanted me to ask you if you wanted to eat dinner at my house before we went out Friday night."

"Oh. Sure, that sounds great. I would love to meet your mom and dad." I said smiling.

He looked relieved by my reaction.

"Are you sure? We don't have to if you don't want to you know."

I laughed. "I promise you I'm sure. I think it might be fun. And I can see where you live in case I want to stalk you later." I said winking.

He burst out laughing. "You wouldn't have to work hard to stalk me. Just look around wherever you are and that's where I'll be."

"There is that lethal charm again." I giggled. "You are the most dangerous creature I have ever met." I grinned.

"And just think, you only just met me. Wait until you really get to know me." He winked.

I shook my head smiling. I opened my mouth to retort but a loud honking stopped me. I looked behind me and saw Jessica's blue Honda behind us. She was glaring at me through the windshield and motioning for us to get out of the way.

"Well I guess I better go. Pick you up tomorrow?" He asked.

I nodded. "That would be great."

He gave me that crooked grin again and I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. He started the car and pulled out of the drive and Jessica whipped her car into her usual space.

"Tell your _boyfriend_ not to block the driveway again. Other people _do _live here you know." Jessica sneered, brushing past me and walking into the house.

I did not correct her when she called Edward my boyfriend. First of all our relationship status was none of her business but mostly I just liked the sound of it. And he had _kind of _been acting like he was my boyfriend today. Not that I was really sure how a boyfriend acted since I had never had one. But from what I had observed from others he was acting in a boyfriend-ly way. Hauling me into his lap in the lunchroom was proof of that.

I walked upstairs and into my room, dropping my bag on the floor and flopping backwards onto the bed.

Wow, what would it like to be Edward's girlfriend? I could kiss him or touch him whenever I wanted. That would definitely be a perk. I could only imagine what it would be like to kiss Edward. His lips looked so soft. Would he kiss me Friday after our date? The thought made a whole flock of butterflies take flight in my stomach. I could definitely go for that. I already wanted to kiss him. Waiting for Friday seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.

My mom called me out of my musings, letting me know she was home and that it was my turn to help with dinner. Mom insisted that we all take turns cooking. She said she had gone into her first marriage barely able to boil water and she did not want it to be that way for us.

I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Mom was taking ingredients out of the fridge. It looked like we were having lasagna for dinner.

"Hey sweetie. Will you grab some ground beef out of the freezer and put it in the microwave to defrost? I am going to start the sauce so it can simmer for a while."

I nodded and did as she asked.

"So how was school today? Anything interesting happen?" This was my mother's not so subtle way of asking me about Edward.

I gave her a sly look. "What do you mean? Was today supposed to be different than any other day?"

She gave me an exasperated look. "Bella Marie Swan if you don't give me all the details about what happened with that really hot guy I am going to…I don't know...make you ride to school in Charlie's cruiser every day for a month." She said with a serious expression, though I could see the smile twitching at the corner of her lips.

She knew exactly how to torture information out of me. I could not think of anything more humiliating than being dropped off at school in a black and white police cruiser.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Okay okay, no need to pull out the big guns." I said laughing.

I looked up at her and smiled. "Mom, I really like him. He makes me laugh so much and he is really sweet and protective too."

"Protective?"

"Yeah well I told you about Mike Newton? You know I am going to have to hurt him one day right? Anyway he put his arm around me _again_ and Edward basically threatened him to back off. Then at lunch this girl was picking on me and he made her stop. Plus he caught me twice today and kept me from falling over my own two feet."

"Hmm, that was sweet. Why was the girl picking on you?"

I shrugged. "I guess she saw me as competition for Edward or whatever. He didn't even give her the time of day or anything. So she got mad and tried to take it out on me. But he put an end to that real quick." I was not going to tell her about Edward pulling me into his lap. I didn't think the mom in her would appreciate it though the girl in her would definitely squeal.

"He sounds like a really nice boy. I can't wait to meet him. Is he going to drive you to school tomorrow too?" She asked.

"Yes. I think it is going to be a habit with him. Not that I mind." I said, winking.

She shook her head smiling. "I just bet you don't. Hell I wouldn't mind myself. He _is_ adorable after all."

"Mom!?!" I yelled.

Renee burst out laughing before turning back to the stove to finish dinner.

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Edward POV

I left Bella at her house and drove to my own. When I pulled in I saw that Em and Jazz had already made it home. I walked inside and they were in the living room, playing Xbox.

Jasper looked up when I came in.

"You want next?" He asked, holding up the controller.

I shook my head and walked past them down the hallway. I made my way to the room at the end, the music room. I walked over to the sleek baby grand that was sitting in the corner. I don't know why I wanted to play today when I hadn't played in months but for some reason I was drawn to the silky black and white keys.

I laid my fingers down and started to play. I didn't concentrate on the keys, only the notes that had been rolling around in my head all day. I couldn't quite get it right. I kept having to stop because I could not get past the beginning of the song. When I tried to write the middle I was stymied. The notes did not seem to flow right. I was becoming frustrated and decided to stop trying to compose. I moved into Mozart, letting the music soothe my frustration. I played two more songs before pulling my fingers from the keys. Playing the piano had always calmed me, no matter what mood I was in.

I looked up to see Esme leaning against the door, her arms crossed across her chest and a happy expression on her face.

"I'm so glad that we decided to have you continue lessons after we adopted you. You fussed and fumed when we did but it is so worth it to hear you play now. That was beautiful." She said, smiling softly.

My birth parents had made me start lessons a few years before they died and Esme had caught me playing the piano about a month after they adopted me. She had insisted that I continue lessons and though I had protested I was glad now that she had.

I smiled at her before turning back to the keys. I began playing a song that I had written for her a few years ago. Esme gasped and smiled when she recognized it. It was a soft lilting tune, almost ethereal. It was a tribute to an angel.

I finished playing and felt two arms encircle my neck from behind, resting on my chest. Esme laid her cheek against the top of my head and I reached up and held her hands in my own.

"Thank you dear." She said softly. I simply nodded and she released me.

"You haven't played in a while. What brought this on?" She asked. I stood up and we walked out of the room.

I shrugged in response to her question.

"I'm not sure. There was a song running through my head and I wanted to hear it. But I can't get past the first part yet. I will have to keep working with it until I can get to the next part."

"I'm sure it will come to you dear. How was your first day?"

I laughed. "Interesting."

"Oh you know you have to tell me more than that." She said laughing.

"It is odd being new kids in a small school. I swear every person in the school was either staring at us or talking about us or both. I felt like a bug under glass or something. Other than that it is typical high school. Cliques, gossip, general craziness, you know how it is." I shrugged.

"And how is Bella today?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.

I chuckled. "Subtle Mom." Her eyes twinkled at me.

"How else am I going to get information if I don't ask, hmm? Did you ask her about Friday?"

"I did and she said yes. She said she would love to meet you and Dad."

"Oh how sweet. I like her already son. What about you? Do you like her?" Esme's eyes were glowing with curiosity.

We walked into the kitchen and I leaned back against the kitchen island. Esme poured herself a cup of coffee and when she turned back to me I answered her question.

"I do like her, a lot. It's just…I don't know. I mean you know I have had a few girlfriends. We never got serious, just a few dates or hanging out. I haven't even known Bella for a whole day yet and it already feels like more than it ever was with any of those other girls. I don't know what it is, but I can't stop thinking about her. She makes me laugh and she is always saying something unexpected that completely takes me by surprise. I never know what she is going to say or do next."

Esme gave me a beautiful smile. "I'm happy for you dear. I don't really know that much about her but from what you have said she sounds like a wonderful girl. Do you think she feels the same for you as you do for her?"

That was a question I had asked myself a few times today. I was not a vain person but I knew that girls found me attractive. I had learned to recognize the signs when a girl was trying to come on to me. But with Bella it was different. She was such a mix of confidence and shyness. I _thought_ she liked me too but I could not be sure.

"I am not sure. I mean I think she does but I can't be a hundred percent certain. She is kind of hard to read sometimes. She keeps a lot inside I think. Plus I think she has a shy streak, despite how confident she seems."

"Hmm, you are just going to have to be observant then. Shy girls are the hardest." Esme said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I was a shy girl myself back in the day. When I liked a boy I found myself staring at him all the time or finding ways to touch him or giving him little compliments, that kind of thing. Nothing overt because I never found the courage, but I think your Bella might be a little more confident than I was. Did she do any of those things today?"

I thought back to the intense stares we had shared today, the way she had run her fingers through my hair and how she had called me charming or handsome. I gave Esme a big smile and nodded.

Esme grinned at me. "There you go. I can't be certain but I think she probably likes you too. Just pay attention to what her actions say. You'll do fine."

I walked over and gave her a hug. "Thanks Mom."

"Anytime son. Now go get cleaned up. You have kitchen duty with me tonight." She grabbed a dishtowel and flicked it at me, chasing me out of the kitchen.

* * *

After dinner Emmett went up to his room, mumbling about having a call to make. I would put good money on who he was going to call. Mom and Dad were in the living room, relaxing, and Jasper was in the kitchen helping me clean up.

"So…" I said. "What was up with the staring contest between you and Alice this morning?"

Jasper blushed. An actual fucking blush; I could not believe it.

He shrugged. "I like her." Was all he said.

"Come on dude. Obviously it is more than that. What's up?"  
He was thoughtful for a moment. "Ed, it was crazy. It was like…like the Earth moved. Like gravity shifted or something and the center of the universe became _her_. I only met her today but I know that I will never be happy for the rest of my life unless she is in it. Bella says that she feels that way about me too."

I was shocked by his admission. Jasper'd had a few girlfriends since I knew him, but like me he never got serious with them. I guess we had both been waiting for the right girl.

"That's awesome man. I'm happy for you. From what Bella has told me about Alice you two compliment each other pretty well. You are calm and she is hyper, she talks all the time and you are practically mute." I said grinning wickedly.

Jasper took a dishtowel and snapped it at me, stinging me in the leg. I snatched up another one and spun around him, striking him in the shoulder. He quickly retaliated, his hands moving with the speed of a cobra and I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. I flicked my towel at him and his hand went up to his neck, rubbing the spot the towel had stuck him.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Truce!" he said, laughing.

"Truce." I agreed. We looked at each other and started laughing uncontrollably. By the time we were done we had both collapsed against the countertop, holding our stomachs and wiping tears from our eyes. We looked up to see Carlisle and Esme staring at us, wonder and shock written across their faces. They both shook their heads and walked back out of the room.

Jasper and I looked at each other and burst out laughing again.

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Bella's POV

After dinner I went up to my room to do my homework. I didn't have much, just an English paper and some trig. When I was finished I pulled out my phone and dialed Rose.

"Hello?" She said impatiently.

"Well hello to you too." I said laughing.

"Oh hey Bella. Sorry about that." She said a little sheepishly.

"So what are you doing?" I asked.

"Actually I have Emmett on the other line right now." She said distractedly.

"Oh! Sorry! Just call me back when you are done." I said.

"Sure, ok. Bye."

"Bye."

I put my phone done and picked up my copy of Pride and Prejudice to read until Rose finished her call. I had only gotten about a chapter when my phone rang. I answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"That was quick." I said.

"Huh?" a deep voice said and I looked at my phone and realized it was Edward.

"Oh sorry Edward. I thought you were Rose." I said.

"Yeah, I get that all the time. People are constantly calling me Rose." He said laughing.

"Ha ha. So what's up?"

"Nothing really. I kinda just wanted to talk to you again that's all." He said a little shyly.

"Oh okay. So what do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"I don't know. I guess we could just try to get to know each other better. We really don't know a whole lot about each other."

"That's true. Okay, do you want to play Ten True Things?" I asked.

"What's that?" He asked quizzically.

"It is a game that Rose and Alice and I came up with to get to know each other. We take turns telling each other ten things about ourselves that are true."

"Oh, okay. Sounds alright. You first." He said.

"Alright. I hate sweet potatoes."

He laughed. "Duly noted. I hate asparagus."

"I am deathly afraid of spiders and the dark."

"The dark? Really?" He asked.

"Ah ah ah. Your turn." I said.

"Hmm, ok. If you tell anyone this I will never speak to you again. I _do _love my Volvo."

I laughed. "I knew that."

"Alright, smarty pants. Your turn." He prompted.

"Scary movies give me nightmares." I said.

"I play the piano."

"Wow. That's impressive. You will have to play for me sometime."

"Sure. But it's your turn again."

"I hate shopping." I said.

"I love buying presents for people."

"Chocolate gives me a headache." I said.

"Well that ought to make Valentine's Day shopping interesting then." He said, chuckling.

I was secretly thrilled that he was already thinking about being with me on Valentine's Day.

"No doubt. Your turn." I said.

"I'm allergic to dogs."

"I once killed three goldfish in one week."

He laughed loudly. "I didn't know I was talking to a serial killer."

"Har dee har har. Your turn." I said, rolling my eyes even though I knew he would not see me.

"Emmett once shaved off my eyebrows while I was sleeping."

I burst out laughing. It seemed like something Emmett would do.

"Not funny. It took a month for them to grow back enough so that I didn't look like some sort of space alien."

I continued to giggle and I heard him heave a dramatic sigh.

"Finished?" He asked wearily.

"Yes, sorry." I said, biting back another giggle.

"Good, it's your turn again."

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of my most favorite movies of all time."

"Esme made me watch Titanic with her and I liked it. But I will deny that until my last breath if you ever repeat that to anyone."

I chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me." I said.

"It better be. They will make me turn in my "man card" for that one." He said laughing.

"Alright, my turn again. Let's see. My biggest pet peeve is people who are late. I hate that."

"I will definitely have to remember that. My biggest pet peeve is people who lie."

"Well you won't have to worry about that with me. I am the world's worst liar. I have always found it easier to tell the truth." I said. It was true. I had never been able to lie convincingly. Plus it never really solved things. Just delayed the inevitable. Might as well get the unpleasantness over with.

"Good to know. Okay, your turn. Make it good." He said chuckling.

"I have never kissed a boy." I said softly.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

"Never?" he said a little disbelievingly.

"No, never. Your turn."

"I have never been in love before." He said just as softly.

I was shocked. Edward seemed the type to have women falling all over him. It was surprising that he had never fallen for one of them.

"Bella?" He said.

"Oh sorry. I was just surprised is all."

"You surprised me too. The way the guys around here seem drool over you I figured you had at least been kissed once in your life." He said.

I scoffed. "They are _not_ drooling over me. Why would they?"

"Ha. You obviously do not see yourself very clearly. Trust me, they are drooling. I may end up beating the shit out of several guys this year."

"Oh really, why would you do that?" I asked.

"I only just found you; do you think I am going to lose you to another guy?"

My heart stopped then beat double time. I could not believe that he was thinking that way about me but I was thrilled.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

"Number ten, your turn."

"I'm really looking forward to Friday night." I said. I needed him to know that I was feeling the same things he was.

"Me too."

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Edward's POV

I parked my car in front of Bella's house and cut the engine. I was a few minutes early and I closed my eyes and rested my head against the headrest. I still didn't know what had possessed me to call her last night. I had been sitting on my bed and had turned my head to see my cell phone sitting on my bedside table. I had a sudden overwhelming impulse to speak to her again and had found myself dialing her number without ever really thinking about it. Hearing her voice over the phone was not as good as hearing it in person but it still gave me the same feelings. Excitement, fascination and an odd sense of serenity. Like everything was okay now that I could hear her voice.

She had suggested that game and I had complied, hoping to learn more about her. And I had. What had really surprised me was how much I revealed to her. I had told her things that I had never thought I would tell another living person, or any undead ones either should they decide to show up.

As usual she had surprised me. When she had told me that she had never kissed a boy I was shocked to say the least. Picturing how full and luscious her lips were was probably not the best thing to do since I had suddenly found myself dealing with a…situation. But I could not believe that no one had ever kissed those beautiful lips. Then I had gotten an entirely different kind of excited when I realized that if Friday night went well I could be the first.

When she told me that she was looking forward to Friday night I was relieved. I knew then that she was having some of the same feelings I was. Had it only really been a day since I met her? I guess what Jazz said really did have some merit. She had become the center of my universe. Who would have thought that a tiny girl in an even tinier town would change my life so completely?

I tried to categorize my feelings. I didn't think I was in love, but I knew that deep down I was not far from it. It would only take a little more to drive me over the edge until I was completely head over heels. I realized now that I wanted that. I wanted the same kind of relationship that Esme and Carlisle had. They had been married for almost twenty years but I swear they acted like newlyweds sometimes. And they were always so considerate of each other, always doing little things to show the other how much they cared. Like Esme folding Carlisle's socks a certain way because that is how he liked them even though it took twice as long or Carlisle making a special trip to Seattle once a month to get a special brew of coffee just for Esme, even though he hated it. I wanted all those things.

I was startled by a tapping on my window and swung my head over to see Bella smiling at me. I quickly undid my seatbelt and she stepped back as I opened the door.

"Did you fall asleep?" She asked, a small smile playing at her lips.

I shook my head. "No, just thinking about stuff. I didn't realize the time. Are you ready?"

"Sure, let's go." I walked around the car to open her door and she gave me a smile. What can I say? Esme had drummed manners into us, saying chivalry wasn't dead, just unused.

I got in and we started on the way to school.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

She surprised me by blushing slightly before answering. What did that mean?

"I slept fine. You?" She said.

"Fine, thanks."

She was silent for a moment, looking like she wanted to speak. I let her gather her thoughts and a few moments later she spoke.

"Jasper said something to me yesterday and I wanted to ask you about it." She said, hesitantly.

"Okay, what is it?" My mind raced. I had no idea what Jasper might have said to her. Hopefully nothing embarrassing.

"Well, he said that whatever we had talked about Tuesday night "did something to you". He said that when you came home from Eclipse that you were "a new guy". What did he mean?"

I hadn't realized that Jasper had noticed anything different about me. I suppose I should have, considering how observant he was.

"Hmm, I guess you could say that you gave me an epiphany of sorts Tuesday night." I looked over at her and her eyes were wide with surprise.

"What kind of epiphany?" She asked curiously.

"Well, how do I explain this?" I said almost to myself. "When I was in the foster care system I got shifted around a lot, for a lot of different reasons. I was in the system for three years and I was with seven different families. Some were really good people who simply could not continue to care for me for one reason or another. Some families were not so good and I was removed by the state and placed into a new family. I was never abused or anything; it was mostly just neglect." I looked over at her. Her face was filled with soft understanding.

"I had been with my last family for about four months when I met the Cullens. The family I was with didn't really care about us, just getting drunk or high. I was outside one day playing and got hit by a car and my arm got broken." She gasped. "It was when I was at the hospital that I met Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle set my arm and then he left and came back later with Esme. Esme walked in and hugged me. I felt instantly at home. Then they told me that they wanted adopt me. I was shocked because they barely knew me. But something about them inspired trust and I agreed."

"That's wonderful. But what happened Tuesday?" She asked softly.

I laughed softly. "I'm getting there. Anyway, after I talked to you at Eclipse I realized that deep down I was still worried that I would be taken away from them. I know it sounds crazy; I mean they adopted me. Adoption means forever. But a small part of me didn't want to believe that. Then, after what you said about how special it was to be adopted I realized that I had been subconsciously pushing them away, bracing myself for when they didn't want me anymore."

"You know, I had never called Esme and Carlisle Mom and Dad until that night." She was looking at me amazed.

I shrugged. "I guess part of me felt disloyal to my birth parents and part of me didn't want to get too attached. But they have never treated me as anything less than their son and I realized that they were as much my mom and dad as my birth parents. So I finally decided to call them Mom and Dad and I thanked them for adopting me. Esme cried."

I heard a sniffle beside me and looked over at Bella quickly. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. I pulled the car over to the side of the rode and reached into the console for some Kleenex.

"Hey." I said softly. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded at me, her eyes still brimming with tears. Then she laughed softly.

"Sorry. I'm being silly. It's just that that is so amazing. I'm glad that you finally feel so secure in your family." She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes.

I took her chin in my fingers and turned her head so I could look into her eyes.

"You did that. You made me understand how lucky I am and how truly amazing it is to be adopted by people like Carlisle and Esme. For the first time I feel _whole_. That is all you. I guess that is why Jasper said I was so different." I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then rested my forehead against hers.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Anytime." She said softly.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: What's this you say? Another update? So soon? Yes indeed my faithful readers it _is_ another update. Do you want it? *dangles update in front of you* Do you _really_ want it? Say please. Okay since you asked so nicely, here it is.**

**Funny, it seems like the story is writing itself. It is just waiting for me to sit down at the keys before it spills out onto the screen. And thank you to all my reviewers for all of their fabulous comments. And special thanks to alley83 and jerseyhalliwell for taking the time to review each chapter. You guys are just chock full of awesome!**

**Ok so on with the update! I hope you like it!**

Bella's POV

Edward turned back into his seat and pulled back into the road.

I could not believe what he had just told me. I was shocked too that he attributed it to me. I had no idea that my words that night had the potential to do that to him.

I was so happy that he finally felt like he really belonged with his family. I'd had a hard time the first year that Renee and Phil had adopted me. Going from a state run institution to a home that was so loving and stable had been a culture shock to say the least. But Renee and Phil were both so loving and caring and patient with me that I soon adjusted. I could not imagine living for years feeling like you might be sent away at anytime-no matter how unfounded those fears might be.

We pulled into the school and my musings were cut short. Edward pulled into the same parking spot that he had used yesterday. Neither Rose and Alice nor Emmett and Jasper had made it to the school yet. I reached around into the back seat to grab my messenger bag and when I turned around Edward had made it around to open the door for me. Of course, being me, I tripped getting out and crashed into Edward. He caught me up against him, my face pressed into his hard chest.

"You smell amazing." I said without thinking, then turning bright red when I realized what I said. He did smell amazing though-like detergent and his deodorant and _Edward._

I felt his chest shaking and when I looked up he was chuckling softly. My cheeks burned again and he grinned at me.

"I love that." He said, running the back of his fingers down my hot cheeks. His fingers were cool and smooth against my skin.

I smiled up at him. "You wouldn't if you were the one blushing all the time. I'm surprised the rest of my body can function when all my blood rushes to my cheeks."

He smiled. "True, but besides your eyes it is the only way for me to know how you are really feeling. I can't read your mind but I can get a decent indication of where your thoughts are."

"Great. _That's_ not embarrassing at all."

"Only if you are thinking things to be embarrassed about." He laughed softly.

"Hmmm." I said. I had a lot of thoughts about Edward that if he ever heard them would embarrass the hell out of me. Good thing he couldn't read my mind.

I realized then that while we had been talking he had not released me. His arms were draped around my waist lightly and my hands were both on his chest. I tried to step back only to find myself stopped by his car. He did not let me go.

"Going somewhere?" He asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He had that grin of his on his face and the only thing I could think of in that moment was how soft his lips looked. I licked mine reflexively and his eyes locked on my mouth. I could feel him leaning slightly towards me and pulling me forward at the same time, his hands splayed out across my back. His eyes were intense as he focused his gaze on my mouth.

_Oh my God! Holy Hell! Edward Cullen is about to kiss me! _My mind screamed. My breath caught and I leaned into him.

The sharp blare of a car horn startled us both and we both stepped back quickly. I leaned back against his car trying to catch my breath. Edward had his hands fisted at his sides and he was looking off into the distance. It looked like he was trying to catch his breath too.

Rose and Alice pulled up then, followed quickly by Emmett and Jasper. Everyone piled out of the vehicles and joined Edward and me beside the Volvo.

"Good morning everyone." Alice chirped. Everyone else said hello and we all moved to make our way into the school, everyone paired off the same as they had the day before. I pushed off the car and Edward did the same, falling into step next to me.

I felt his fingers on mine and looked down to see that he had taken my hand. I looked up at him in surprised pleasure.

"Is this okay?" He asked hesitantly, holding up our joined hands.

I smiled softly at him. "Yes, it's fine." He smiled brilliantly at me and we continued on our way.

Just as we were walking into the main building he stopped short, dragging me to a halt as well. I looked up at him quizzically.

"I forgot to turn in that slip yesterday. I need to do it before we go to class." He said.

"Oh, okay. I will see you in class then."

"What's the number of the locker next to yours?" He asked.

"127."

"Alright, see you in class." He gave my hand a small squeeze and turned towards the Office.

I snaked my way through the now busy hallways and wished that Edward was beside me. He could clear a path much easier than I could. I was so short that most people didn't see me and I was not strong enough to muscle my way through.

I finally made it to my locker and after opening it I exchanged my Biology book for English and grabbed my art pad. I already had my Trig book from doing homework last night so I closed my locker and turned around.

Only to be met by a very unwelcome sight.

Lauren and Jessica were standing in front of me in identical poses. Hands planted firmly on their hips and glaring.

"What do you want?" I asked warily. The girls did not usually speak to me in public.

"I don't know what you _think_ your doing, but you better back the fuck off of Edward Cullen." Jessica said scathingly.

I looked at her like she had just asked me for a lightly fried weasel on a bun.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked incredulously.

"I don't know why _you_ think _you _have a chance with him. There is no way a guy as totally hot as he is would ever be interested in a drab virgin reject like you." Jessica said caustically.

I just snorted at her. "Whatever. You know I don't give a shit what you think." I said dismissively.

"You better care what we think." Lauren said. "Because what we think is what the whole school thinks. And the whole school knows that all he wants from you is a quick fuck before he moves on to someone a whole lot more interesting than you."

I shook my head at their notions. My steps were so tedious.

"Whatever his intentions towards me are they are certainly none of your business. And just to set the record straight there is no way in hell Edward would ever do that to me." I asserted.

"Your fucking right I wouldn't." Edward said, striding towards us. He walked up and put his arm firmly around my waist. His brilliant emerald eyes were shooting sparks at the girls.

"I don't know what the fuck your problem with Bella is but don't _ever_ let me catch either of you speaking to her that way again." He said, venom dripping from his tone.

The girls looked taken aback for a moment before rallying quickly.

"Whatever." Jessica said. "Like I fucking care if you fuck her and forget her. It is no more than she deserves." She narrowed her eyes at me. "You'll see Bella. Just you wait."

"Fuck OFF!" Edward said loudly. The girls shrugged and walked down the hallway. Edward watched them go with narrowed eyes before turning towards me, keeping his arm around my waist. He put his finger under my chin and drew my gaze up to his.

"You know I would never do that to you, right?" He asked softly. His eyes were pleading with mine to see the truth in his words.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes.

"Of course I know that. I haven't known you long in terms of time but I feel like I have known you forever. I _know_ you. I _know_ you wouldn't do that to me." I said firmly.

His expression mirrored his relief and gratitude and he pulled me tight into his chest.

"Thank you." He said into my hair.

"Anytime." I said, echoing my words from earlier.

He pulled back and looked down at me, his eyes sparkling.

"You know, you smell amazing too." He said smiling.

Of course I blushed, but I managed to smile up at him. The first bell rang and he stepped back from me.

"Go ahead and get to class. I have to put some stuff in my locker." He said.

"I can wait." I said, waving to Rose who was at her locker on the other side of the hall.

"No, my future is in your hands and my future doesn't need you to be late. I'm new; I can get away with it." He said grinning.

I laughed. "Okay. I'll see you in a minute then."

I turned and walked away towards English class. I thought I heard him call Rose's name but when I looked back there were too many people in the hall for me to see clearly.

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Rose's POV

When Edward called my name after Bella walked off towards her class I was surprised to say the least. I hadn't talked to him that much but Emmett had told me that he was a good guy. I had been impressed when he had stood up for Bella in the cafeteria against that bitch-whore Tanya. Pulling Bella into his lap had been an inspired touch.

I was glad that Bella had finally found a guy who saw her for the amazing person she was. When I had met her three years ago I had been a sophomore and she was a freshman who was still bearing the stigma of "new kid" even though she had already been living here for a year.

I had been surprised at how easily I had become friends with her. But there was something about Bella, something so open and honest about her that I had been drawn to her. Then once I realized how awful her stepsisters treated her and the reason why she allowed it I had felt a strong protective instinct well up within me. I made sure over the years that no one messed with her. She did not know that of course. I just wasn't going to let anyone hurt one of the few friends I had been able to make at this school.

Saying I didn't make friends easily was like saying that Mars was not that far from the Earth. It was not easy for me to be open with people. My home life had certainly had not taught me how to do that. My parents loved me, in the way that all parents love their children. But they were not _there_ for me. My father spent most of his time in Seattle, coming home on the weekends. My mother joined him more often than not, working on expanding her interior design company. They provided me with nice things and in turn I was a good daughter, staying out of trouble and getting good grades. They also indulged me in my one true passion-restoring cars.

There was something about working on a car that calmed me. Taking apart an engine and rebuilding it was cathartic. There was a logic to it that made sense to me. Parts only fit one way together-they either line up or they don't.

Alice, Bella and I fit. We each filled missing parts in each other. Alice was bright and happy all the time, making even the most mundane tasks seem exciting. She was the jolt of energy I needed to start my day.

Bella was sweet and caring and wickedly funny. She inspired me to be more than I was and to reach out to other people. There was something so good about her, though she never came off as a goody-goody. She just cared about people and wanted them to be happy.

I brought inner strength and attitude. I said the things that everyone else wished they were badass enough to say. I didn't care what others thought about me-only Alice and Bella. And now Emmett.

Wow. Emmett. When I had seen him standing there with Edward I had felt like I had been hit by a Mac truck. He was so handsome with those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right into my soul. He had stood there staring at me and I suddenly had wanted him to see me as more than a pretty face. So I had asked him about his Jeep.

It had been a bold move on my part. My love of cars was not something I usually revealed to people, much less strangers and guys least of all. Most felt threatened when a girl entered a "man area". But Emmett's eyes had sparkled and he had been surprised and pleased. I'd had to suppress a grin when I heard him ask Bella if I was single.

We had looked under the hood and I watched him as he spoke. Despite his size he was refreshingly unassuming. There was a warmth and honesty about him that had instantly sucked me in. When he put his arm around my shoulders it had felt _right_. Normally I would put a guy on the ground for touching me without my permission but Emmett made me feel protected. It was something new to me, that feeling. I was used to being the defender-the momma bear who watched out for her cubs.

But with Emmett I felt protected and secure for the first time in a really long time. I liked it.

When Emmett had called me, I had asked him what type of person Edward was. I wanted to make sure that he was good enough for my best friend after all. Emmett had assured me that he was a good guy-thoughtful and considerate. He also told me that Bella had captivated Edward in a way that Emmett had never seen another girl do. From the first moment Edward had met her he had been hooked. I felt better then but I still watched him until I was convinced that he would be good to her. He was. He was watching out for her, protecting her from evil bitches like Tanya and even catching her when she tripped and fell.

Then there was the way his eyes glowed when he looked at her. I don't think it was anything he was consciously aware of. When he looked at her there was this amazing mix of wonder and happiness and awe and what looked like the beginnings of love to me.

Bella was changing too. She had never felt like she deserved attention from anyone. Not because she lacked self-confidence but more because she could not see all the things about her that made her so special. So now that Edward was treating her the way she deserved to be-with care and respect and consideration-she was blossoming. Thanks to Edward.

Now he was approaching me, his expression solemn. I had seen Jessica and Lauren walking down the hall with smug expressions and I had heard them say Bella's name. They must have said something about Bella and Edward must have heard it. God I hated those bitches. The one thing they both hated was seeing Bella happy. She had never been anything but nice to them but they were always so evil to her. So whenever I could I made sure they knew how loathsome they were.

"Rosalie, I need your help." Edward said, stopping in front of me.

"Um, okay. What's up?"

He looked back to where Lauren and Jessica were disappearing around the corner, his expression disgusted. He swung his gaze back to me and his eyes were hard.

"Look, here's the thing. I am not going to sit back while those two bitches continue to hurt Bella. I know she has her reasons for putting up with it and I respect her decision to do so but I don't have the same qualms. They are _not_ going to abuse her as long as I am around. Plus they are trying to break us up when we are not even official yet. Not happening either. So I need your help to teach them a lesson."

My eyes widened at the end of his speech. The protectiveness evident in his tone was on the same level as mine when it came to Bella. I suddenly felt a new respect for him.

"Alright, I'm in. What do you have in mind?"

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Edward's POV

I walked towards my first period class after talking to Rosalie. I was still enraged by what I had heard spewing from Jessica and Lauren's mouths. How could they say such jacked up shit to Bella was beyond me. Talking to Rosalie did make me feel better. We had a plan now. Something that would show Jessica and Lauren just how it felt to be ridiculed. Hopefully it would be enough for them to leave Bella alone. If not we would have to resort to more drastic measures.

I was also gratified to hear how Bella had stood up for me against those vipers. What she said was true: we had not known each other long. But already she trusted me not to do to her what her stepsisters had told her I would do. _She trusted_ _me_. I would make sure she never had a reason to regret doing so.

I slid into my seat just before the second bell rang. Bella looked over at me and smiled. She had the sweetest expression on her face and it took all I had not to scoop her up in my arms and resume what had been interrupted at my car this morning.

Damn I had wanted to kiss her so badly this morning, and almost had. I couldn't help it. She had stared at my mouth like she was thirsty and I was a glass of water. Standing there holding her in my arms, with those deliciously pink lips _so close_, I had felt myself pulling her closer without even thinking about it.

Then someone had honked their horn and I had cursed the day someone thought up _that_ invention. It wasn't until I couldn't kiss her that I realized how much I _really_ _really _wanted to. It had taken me a few minutes to calm down. Seeing that she was just as affected as I was had helped.

Class passed quickly and before I knew it the bell rang. Shit. It seemed like I never had enough time with her, even simple moments like sitting next to her in class. We gathered our books and made our way out of the classroom. I reached out and took her hand, intertwining our fingers. She had already given me permission and I was not going to pass up any opportunity to touch her. She looked up at me, pleasure dancing in her eyes. She wanted to touch me too. _Yes!_ I thought in victory.

We made it to my next class and she stopped to stand in front of me.

"So I'll see you at lunch?" I asked.

She chuckled softly. "Of course. If you want." She smirked.

I reached up with my free hand and ran the back of my fingers down her cheek and was rewarded with her blush. I leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Oh believe me, I want."

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Bella's POV

I'm not sure how I made it to Trig but I am pretty sure I floated. Edward Cullen wanted me. _Me!_ Plain and Boring and Brown Bella. But I didn't feel plain and boring around him. He made me feel beautiful and witty and _amazing_. When he held my hand it felt like his fingers were made to interlace with mine. It felt like someone had made him just for _me_.

I somehow made it to my seat before the bell rang and sat down still in my Edward-induced daze. It took me a second to realize that someone was poking me in the ribs. I looked over at the seat next to me.

"Angela? Oh Angie! Your back! I missed you so much!" I reached out and hugged the tall slender girl next to me.

She laughed softly. "I missed you too Bella. It's good to be back. I missed the interaction with people my own age." She said smiling.

"How is your mom? Is she feeling better?" I asked in concern. Angie's mom had developed a bad case of pneumonia and had to be on an oxygen tank while she was at home. Angie had two-year-old twin brothers and had stayed at home for the last two weeks to care for them until her mom was better.

"Oh yes, thanks. She is doing a whole lot better now. My Aunt Katie, her sister, is going to be staying with us for a couple of weeks to help out and my mom insisted that I come back to school. Oh and thanks again for getting all my assignments for me. I would have been super stressed out without them."

"You know I didn't mind. And you are so smart you could have made them all up in two days even if I hadn't brought them to you." I said smiling. Angela was very smart and already had a scholarship to the University of Washington lined up, even though she was a junior.

Angela blushed at me and looked down. She was such a sweet and modest girl. And possibly the only person I knew who could blush more than me.

"By the way, there are some new people at school and you get to meet them when you sit at lunch with us today." I said.

"I heard in first period that there were three "gorgeous" new boys here. And I also heard that you and Rose and Alice had managed to steal them away from every other girl at this school before they even made it through their first day." She said with a knowing smile.

I couldn't help the blush that rose up in my cheeks and Angela smiled softly.

"As long as they are good enough to deserve you three that is all that matters. I am so happy for you all." She said, patting my hand. The teacher called our attention to the front and class began.

_____________________________________________________________________

I parted from Angela at the end of class and made my way to Art. Alice was already seated and I pulled up the stool next to her at the long drafting tables. She turned to me immediately, bouncing in her seat so much I felt like she might actually fall over.

"Bella Bella Bella." She chanted. I swear I was going to find her off switch one day just to give us all a little respite from her Energizer Bunny routine.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Alice?"

"You know what tomorrow is right? It's Friday!" She exclaimed. "It's Date Night!"

I felt a flutter in my stomach. Date Night. Date Night with Edward Cullen. Holy Flying Fish! Date Night with The-Most-Amazing-Guy-I-Had-Ever-Met Edward Cullen.

Alice saw the look on my face and burst out laughing.

"Bella you look like you don't know which to do first, burst into song or shit your pants."

I laughed with her. Alice had a way with words.

"Don't worry." She said after she had stopped laughing. "Rose and I are going to make sure that you look absolutely perfect so you don't have to worry about anything other than being your normal charming self. If Edward brings you to school tomorrow, which I am quite sure by the way that he looks at you he will, tell him that you are getting a ride with Rose and me. We will go to your house and get you ready."

I dreaded an afternoon surrounded by torture devices-I mean beauty products-even if it was for a good cause. Though I really wanted to look stellar for Edward for our date. Wait…what did Alice say?

"What do you mean, the way he looks at me? How does he look at me?" I asked.

Alice rolled her eyes.

"You haven't noticed? I swear when it comes to boys you are so clueless. Honey, he looks at you like you are something to eat. Like he just wants to gobble you up. That boy has a bad case of Bella-itis and the only cure is you. And it looks like he needs large quantities of it." She said grinning at me.

I rolled my eyes but I was squealing gleefully on the inside.

"Seriously Bella, there were at least four guys at this school who looked like they wanted to jump off a cliff or something when they saw you and Edward in the cafeteria yesterday." She said.

"Right Alice. Because I am such a catch and all." I said sarcastically.

"Yes, Bella Swan you are." She said sternly. "You could have any guy at this school you want. Don't roll your eyes. Just because you can't see that they want you doesn't mean that they don't. Now about tomorrow," She said, switching into her no-nonsense mode. It was the same one she employed when she dragged me shopping with her.

"We will come over after school and pick your clothes. What time is he picking you up?"

"Six. We are having dinner at his house and then leaving from there to go to Port Angeles."

"Hmm only two and a half hours. Well it will have to do. Especially since it takes so long to dry that hair of yours." She said thoughtfully.

Two and a half hours to get me ready? It's not like I was walking the red carpet at the Oscars. It was just a date. A date with Edward Cullen. Hmmm, would two and a half hours be enough?

"Okay I guess we have a plan now." I said. "Oh by the way, Angela is back and she is sitting with us at lunch today."

"Oh yay! I have missed her. How is her mom?" Alice asked.

"Better. Angela's aunt is going to be staying with them and helping out."

"Oh great. It is not the same when Angie isn't here. I'm glad she's back."

Class started then and we both turned towards the teacher.

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Art class flew by with Alice by my side and I could only hope that American History would as well since I shared it with Jasper. We were studying the Civil War in depth and Jasper was more animated than I had ever seen him. Apparently this was a topic he really enjoyed. Finally after what seemed like forever the bell rang and Jasper fell into step beside me to the cafeteria.

We walked in and saw that Emmett and Edward had beaten us there. Rose and Alice were in the line getting their food. I joined them as Jasper made his way to the table. We got our food and worked our way back to our table. I looked around for Angie and saw that she was standing at the table that Jessica and Lauren usually sat at, talking to a boy that I knew from Algebra last year. Ben Cheney. He was looking up at her with a smile on his face and laughed in response to something Angie said. She smiled shyly at him. I was surprised. I didn't know that Angie liked Ben and I was even more surprised that she had the gumption to go up and talk to him. Angie had her picture next to shy in the dictionary.

"Hey!" I heard someone yell and looked over to see Lauren and Jessica bearing down on Angie.

"What are _you_ doing at this table? No rejects or losers allowed. Do we have to put up a sign or something? Get lost!" Jessica said, pushing Angie away from the table. Angie has better coordination than I do and managed to catch herself before falling. From the look on her face she was utterly mortified.

I saw red. I never knew how literal that statement was until I experienced it myself. Now it was as if someone draped a sheer red scarf across my vision. I was up off my feet and moving across the lunchroom faster than I would have ever thought possible for myself. I didn't even trip.

I made it to Angie's side in a flash and took her face in my hands.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly. I barely registered Ben standing next to her with his hand on her shoulder.

She nodded and I saw tears of mortification in her eyes. No one should ever make this wonderful girl cry.

I turned to my steps who were standing there looking smug. I glared at them, feeling the fire blazing in my eyes.

"I don't give a fuck what you say to me but you leave her the fuck alone. She is worth ten thousand of your sorry ass carcasses and I will break every fucking bone in your bodies with a baseball bat if you ever so much as look in her direction again." I said.

The girls were shocked speechless by the pure menace in my tone and I could see that they knew I meant it.

They shrugged nonchalantly but I could tell I had affected them. Their whole table was silent. No one had ever seen this side of me before.

"Come on Angie. We are waiting for you at our table. You can come too Ben, if you want." He nodded at me and I turned back towards our table only to see that everyone-Rose, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Edward-had gotten up and were standing about ten feet from Angie and me. They were all grinning from ear to ear.

I looped my arm around Angie's waist and Ben put his arm across her shoulder and we led her to our table. Everyone else had formed into a half circle behind us, like a protective wall. From behind me I could hear someone start to clap and then the whole lunchroom erupted into applause. I looked around amazed. People were cheering and giving me the thumbs up. I was shocked but managed to smile weakly. I looked back at Jessica and Lauren who were watching everyone clapping with the same look of angry humiliation on their faces. They grabbed their trays and left the lunchroom in a huff.

We all resumed our seats at the table as the applause died down. Emmett pulled over two extra chairs to our table and Angie and Ben sat down across from Edward and me. Angie smiled shyly at everyone as I made the introductions.

Alice and Rose quickly drew Angie into conversation and Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"That was amazing. _You_ were amazing. Remind me not to piss you off. I don't think I would survive."

I smiled softly at him. "Number eleven…don't fuck with my friends." I said.

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Edward's POV

What the fuck? That was the only thing I could think. I had looked up the same time as Bella did to see her step-bitches push a tall thin brunette away from their table. Before I could even register what I had seen, Bella was up and running across the cafeteria. I was surprised she made it without stumbling even once.

We all got up almost instantly when Bella had gone charging across the lunchroom and stopped in front of the brunette girl.

The whole room had fallen silent and everyone heard what Bella told her stepsisters. To be honest even _I_ felt a shiver run up my spine from the ominous tone of her voice. I could tell that she meant every word. Her steps seemed to get the point. They were staring at her in shock and fear.

Bella had led the girl back to the table and then the lunchroom erupted into cheers. Looked like no one was a real fan of the bitch twins, as Bella called them. Bella was shocked though she did have the slightest of smiles on her face.

Throughout lunch we made sure to include the girl, now introduced as Angela, in every conversation. Emmett took a particular joy in telling her some of his more…colorful stories then laughing uproariously when she would blush. She seemed like a really sweet and intelligent girl and I could see why Bella liked her.

It looked to me like Ben liked her too. I had seen the concerned look on his face when Jessica and Lauren had insulted her. He seemed to hang on her every word and from the surreptitious glances she was giving him I could see that Angela liked him too.

I had meant it when I told Bella she was amazing. She looked so strong and powerful when she had stood up to her stepsisters about Angela. Now if she would only do the same thing for herself. I remembered what she had told Nancy at Eclipse and I guess I understood her motivation but I was still angry about it. I couldn't stand the thought of anyone hurting my girl.

My girl. I really liked the sound of that. Everything she did was weaving a spell around me. Just when I thought that there was no way I could like her more than I already did she would do something that would entrance me even more. I was falling hard for this tiny girl and enjoying every moment of the drop. I hoped that she would be there to catch me at the bottom.

* * *

The bell rang and we all made our way to our classes. Bella and I fell into step again and I took up her hand again. She laced her fingers with mine and gave my hand a small squeeze. I could only smile in response. Bella stopped at her locker and exchanged her books and I did the same. I was lucky that the locker next to hers had been unused when I had asked for it this morning in the Office.

I noticed as we walked that more people were smiling at Bella and me. It seemed like the little show she had put on in the cafeteria had earned her some respect among the student body. I was glad that they finally seemed to be wising up but it seemed almost too little too late. Why couldn't they have realized before how amazing she was? I had barely known her two whole days and could see that.

We had a lab in Biology and I took the opportunity to flirt shamelessly with her the whole time. She flirted right back and the hour passed quickly. I walked her to Gym and made my way to my incredibly boring six period class. I noticed now that Ben was in this class too.

We had a few minutes until class and Ben came to stand next to my desk.

"Hey man." He said.

"S'up?" I said.

"Soo…you and Bella huh?" He asked hesitantly. I immediately tensed. I was not sure where he was going with this.

"Looks like it." I said cautiously. Was I wrong? Was he interested in Bella too? Jesus Christ, was I in competition with _every_ guy at this school?

"Oh hey man no." He said, putting up his hands palms out fingers up. "No, I mean I'm not…that is…I don't…I mean…I like Angie." He said in a rush and I relaxed.

I smiled up at him, now that I knew he was not trying to steal my girl.

"She seems like a really nice girl." I said. Ben's eyes went soft and he gazed off into the distance.

"She is. She is so sweet and smart. I feel like such a dumbass around her though. I mean I am such a jock." He said, laughing and shaking his head.

"It looked like to me that she likes you too though." I said. "And even though she seems really really _really_ shy she did walk up to you in the cafeteria right?"

Ben's eyes lit up. "Yeah, she did actually. Hmm. Maybe you are right. Thanks man." He said.

I just nodded and smiled.

"And congrats on whatever you and Bella have going." He continued. "She is an awesome girl. I was impressed with what she did in the lunchroom, standing up to Jessica and Lauren and everything. I hate those bitches. And I guess you can tell that most of the school does too." I nodded.

He looked hesitant for a moment.

"Just…be good to Bella. She is a really nice girl and her stepsisters have put her through a lot of shit. Bella really helped me out in Algebra last year and even tutored me so I wouldn't fail. I don't mean any disrespect or anything but I will kick your ass if you hurt her." I sized him up and realized he probably could if he really wanted to.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and then nodded my understanding.

"Trust me Ben, I would throw myself off a cliff before I ever hurt her." I said sincerely.

Ben nodded once then clapped me on the shoulder.

"Good to know man. Catch you later then." He sauntered off towards his seat, apparently satisfied that he had done his job as her friend.

****

A/N: I mentioned a book in the second chapter. Anyone who can identify the author and find the quote from that book that is in this chapter gets teaser for chapter 7! Happy Hunting!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay here it is: The Date! Are you as excited to read it as I was to write it? I bet you are. I hope you like it. This chapter is longer than any so far. I had a lot that I had to get in there but I hope you find it was worth it.**

**Thanks again to all my faithful readers and reviewers. I swear I squeal like a little girl when I see a new review. New readers: welcome! Thanks to everyone who continues to read my story.**

**Now: On with the show!**

Bella's POV

Gym passed relatively quickly and I once again did not seriously hurt anyone. I knocked a few people down but they bounced right back up pretty quickly so I figured they were okay. I apologized of course but you would figure that they knew by now not to get that close to me. _Especially_ when we were playing volleyball.

I walked out of the Gym and Edward was already waiting for me. Oh to have the speed and agility to make it across the campus that fast without falling and hurting yourself. He reached down and took my hand and I think that holding Edward's hand had become one of my most favorite things to do. It was something we had fallen into quite easily and it felt natural to hold his hand now.

We made it to his car and Alice dragged me to her side.

"Don't forget to tell him we are taking you home tomorrow. Oh and I am _so_ _proud_ of you for what you did in the cafeteria! You were awesome!" She said.

"She's right." Rose said. "Good to see that I am rubbing off on you." She said, nudging me with her elbow.

"Well you _are_ the baddest bitch I know." I said grinning.

"That you will _ever_ know. And don't forget it." She said, fisting her hand on her hip and shaking her finger at me.

"I bow to your baddassedness, O Powerful One." I said, bowing to her mockingly.

"Whatever." She said laughing. "Get your ass home. And go to bed early. No dark circles under your eyes tomorrow or you are in _big_ trouble."

"Yes, mother." I said wryly.

I looked over at Edward and when I caught his eye I nodded to let him know I was ready. I opened my door and got in. I waved at Alice and Rose and closed the door.

We had driven for a few minutes when I turned to him.

"Are you going to pick me up in the morning?" I asked him.

He gave me a grin.

"I think it is safe to say that I will be picking you up from now on until you tell me otherwise. I mean, if that is okay with you." He said, looking at me quickly.

"Oh! I mean, yeah, no that's cool with me. But tomorrow Alice and Rose are going to take me home tomorrow afternoon, just so you know."

"Oh. Okay. Why?" He looked mildly disappointed.

"You know, girl stuff. They don't trust me to dress myself for our date." I laughed.

He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling.

"You don't have to wear anything you know." He said, wiggling his eyebrows and laughing.

"Yeah I'm sure your parents would love that." I laughed.

"It'd be a first impression they'd never forget."

"No doubt. But I think that for the time being I will only be seen in public fully clothed."

He sighed dramatically. "Fine. Ruin all my fun."

I could only shake my head and laugh.

* * *

I woke up the next morning before my alarm. Not much before but I was happy for any small victory. I got up and showered quickly, eager to have the school day over. Standing under the shower I started to think about later tonight.

I hoped I didn't make a complete ass of myself. I had no idea what was expected on a date. I prayed to all that was holy that I did not do something completely embarrassing like spill soda all over myself or Edward.

What if I fell on my ass? Well he was usually there to catch me so that might be alright. What if his parents didn't like me? What if they told him to stop seeing me? Gah, I couldn't even start down the tracks of that train of thought or I would end up hiding in my closet tonight.

I would just have to hope that all went well. I didn't know what would happen tonight but I knew that worrying about it beforehand would give me an ulcer or something. I would play wait and see. I felt better after making that decision and got out before all the hot water was gone. That would not endear me to the other four people in the house for sure.

Edward picked me up again and the trip to school was quiet. I did learn though that Edward enjoyed classical music. It was playing softly when I got in.

"Clair de Lune?" I asked when I got inside.

"You know classical music?" He asked, surprised.

I nodded. "I listen to everything, from Mozart to Metallica to Saving Abel to The Black Eyed Peas to Linkin Park. I don't discriminate in my music tastes. I just like what I like." I said shrugging.

He nodded thoughtfully. "I am the same way I guess. If I like something it doesn't matter to me who it is. Music has always provoked an emotional response in me, no matter what kind it is."  
"Me too. Like if I am in the mood to clean house I put on something with a lot of drums and guitar. If I am doing homework I will listen to Classical. Music just helps me focus."

He looked at me for a moment and smiled.

"Same here. We have more in common than I thought. I wonder what else we have in common. What is your favorite color?"

I looked into his emerald eyes.

"Green. You?" I said, blushing a little.

He looked deep into my eyes for a moment.

"Definitely brown." He said warmly.

Cue Stage 4 blush.

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The ride to school was spent that way. Edward and I fired questions back and forth, learning more about each other. He would ask a question and I would answer then vice versa.

We pulled up in front of the school and Alice and Rose were already there. Alice yanked open my door and practically hauled me out of the car.

"Jesus Alice are you taking steroids or something? You are five foot nothing but I think you could take even Emmett down."

"Ha ha Bella. No, I'm just excited." She said.

"When are you _not_ excited Alice? I think the reason that you don't give blood is because your veins are filled with Red Bull." I laughed.

"That is still better than the reason why you don't. Miss Can't-even-get-a-papercut-or-I'll-pass-out." She said mockingly.

"That was one time, Alice." I said rolling my eyes.

"Tell that to Mrs. Harrison. I thought my ears would never stop ringing from the way she screamed when you hit the floor in English last year."

Okay, so I fainted when I smelled or saw blood. Lots of people have that problem, right? And it was not my fault last year. Mrs. Harrison had made me gather everyone's essays and when I was straightening them up I sliced open my finger. The next thing I knew I was in the Nurse's office. Stupid essays.

"Alright, enough about me. Why are you so excited _this_ morning?" I asked dryly.

"Duh! You are having your very first ever date tonight. I am surprised that you are so calm, actually. Aren't you excited?" She asked, rolling back and forth on the balls of her feet.

I laughed. "I'm a duck on the pond Alice. Calm on the surface but churning underneath."

"Don't worry. Everything will be great, you'll see. I have a feeling about tonight. And you know how my feelings are." She was right. She wasn't clairvoyant but you didn't bet against her either.

I nodded. "Okay. I trust you. And I really can't wait. I feel like today is going to take forever."

* * *

I was right. Each class it felt like the clock was moving in reverse. The only bright spots of my day were the classes that I shared with Edward and lunch. Those hours seemed to pass too fast. Finally I was done with Gym and Edward walked with me to the parking lot.

He turned when we reached his car and leaned back against it, still holding my hand. He pulled me towards him so that there was only about a foot between us.

"So...the plan is I'm picking you up at six and we are eating at my house before leaving for Port Angeles, right?" He said.

I nodded. "Charlie and my mom want to meet you before we leave my house though."

He nodded and looked a little nervous. I felt better then, knowing that he might be nervous about our date too.

"Oh!" I said, remembering something. "I brought that book. I didn't want to forget to give it to you tonight." I said, reaching into my bag and handing him my well worn copy of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

"Don't Panic huh?" He said, running his fingers over the cover.

"Always good advice." I said laughing.

He released my hand and reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. My cheek tingled where he touched me.

He opened his mouth to speak but Alice interrupted.

"_B-ell-aa_! Come on! We only have so much time to get you ready!" She said, dragging me away.

"See you in a little while!" I called to Edward before being shoved into Rose's car.

I spent the next two hours being tortured, err "beautified". Alice went on a rampage through my closet, finally coming out with a pair of dark jeans and a pretty purple top I didn't even remember buying. It had three-quarter sleeves and a v-neck and was made of some really soft material I couldn't identify. She let me wear my Chucks since I would have to take them off anyway to put my bowling shoes on. Bowling was the only reason Alice would _ever_ let me wear my Chucks on a date. That girl was always trying to get me into some sort of shoe that was guaranteed to end my life. Heels and a lack of coordination was practically suicide.

Rose worked her magic on my hair, curling it into soft waves that fell around my shoulders. My make up was light, just a little eyeliner and mascara and some pink lip gloss, which they made me put in my pocket for touch-ups. I wasn't carrying a purse so I put my money and ID card in my other pocket.

I looked at myself when they were done and almost gasped. I always had the same reaction when they were done with me. Somehow they were always able to transform me into someone beautiful. The girl looking at me in the mirror had brown eyes that were sparkling, flushed cheeks and a big smile.

"You guys are so completely awesome. Thank you so much!" I said, meeting their eyes in the mirror.

"Your welcome silly!" Alice said, hugging me gently so as to not mess up my hair.

"So," Rose said, "Are you going to kiss him tonight?"

I blushed. "I _want_ to. But I have never kissed a boy in my life."

"We know. You could let him kiss you of course. But he would probably do that at the front door with your parents on the other side waiting for you to come inside." Rose said.

"Ugh. I hadn't thought of that." I said grimacing. "I would really hate for my parents to witness my first ever kiss."

"So kiss him somewhere else. I mean there is no rule he has to kiss you on the front porch. Just take an opportunity somewhere else." Alice said.

"Hmmm, well I will just see what happens. If it happens here oh well I suppose. At least I would have had my first kiss." I said.

"True." Alice said. She looked at her watch. "Okay we have about thirty minutes until he gets here. Rose and I need to be gone before then. Seeing the elves ruins the effect of the magic." She laughed.

"Funny Alice, I always thought of you as a pixie." I said laughing.

* * *

I went downstairs after they left and found my mom in the kitchen. Her eyes went wide when she saw me then welled up with tears.

"Oh Bella," she sniffled. "You look so amazing."

"Aww, Mom. Don't cry." I said, patting her on the back.

"I'm sorry. It's just that my baby is having her first date. I'm allowed to cry if I want. It is in the Mom's Handbook. Section 27 paragraph 4. Mother's may be permitted to cry and/or sob when their daughters are going out on their first date. So there." She said, giving me a watery laugh.

I laughed with her. "Ok, well just dry up before he gets here. He might decide I'm pathetic if my mom is _this_ happy that a guy is taking me out." I teased.

She laughed and grabbed a paper towel, dabbing at her eyes.

"No one would ever think you are pathetic sweetie. Besides, he has a mom too. I'm pretty sure she is just as happy as I am that you two are going out."

I just shook my head, smiling. I really hoped his parents liked me.

Charlie came into the kitchen then and looked me over.

"You look nice Bells. You remember all the stuff you learned in class right? And No means No, remember." He said in a gentle yet fatherly tone.

I smiled softly at him. "Yes, I remember. And you know if I have to I will break his nose or anything else I can reach." I said laughing.

He nodded at me, smiling. "Okay, well bring him in here when he gets here. I want to meet the guy that has turned my household upside down in just three days."

I heard the doorbell ring then and went to get the door before Jessica or Lauren could. I was unsuccessful.

"I got it." I said, as Jessica turned the knob on the door. She did not open it all the way, only a few inches, before stopping to look at me.

"Oh, you'll get it." She said in a low tone. "You wait. You can pretty yourself up all you want Bella. Underneath you will always be nothing." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Good to know. Now get out of the way so I can open the door." I said.

In response she yanked open the door and suddenly all I could see was Edward.

Oh.

My.

God.

This man was gorgeous. Absolutely, one hundred percent, completely gorgeous.

He stood on my front porch looking like a GQ spread come to life. He had on dark jeans that fit him perfectly, emphasizing his long legs. He was wearing a long sleeve black button up shirt with the cuffs rolled up and his pale skin practically glowed in the soft light of the setting sun. His hair, while usually amazing, looked even more perfect and I wanted to run my fingers through it forever. When I finally met his eyes I saw that he was giving me the same once over. Our eyes locked and his eyes were twinkling and he was wearing my favorite grin.

"You know," He said softly. "I thought I knew what perfect looked like until I met you. Now I find myself redefining the word every time I see you."

Okay. Swoon.

I wish I could say I thought of something witty but all I could do is blush and hold the door open wider so he could come inside.

"Thank you." I managed at last.

"You guys are disgusting." Jessica sneered at us. I had forgotten she was there. Before I could speak she turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her. I just shook my head and started to lead Edward to the kitchen where my mom and Charlie were waiting.

Edward stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Bella," he said. "Why do you put up with the way Jessica and Lauren treat you? It's not right."

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Renee's POV

I heard Edward pull up outside. The purr of his car was quiet but I was so excited that my girl was going on her first real date that I would have heard him arrive even if he walked.

The doorbell rang and I heard Bella half-run half-stumble into the hallway towards the front door. I swear that girl was born stumbling.

Charlie stiffened a little when he heard the doorbell. I knew that he loved Bella as much as if she was his own child and he was itching to meet this boy. I had told him to keep calm but the Dad/Police Chief in him was chomping at the bit.

"Let her bring him in to us. They are both nervous enough. Give them a chance to collect themselves before you go all Big Scary Dad on them okay?" I said softly, wrapping one arm around his waist. He nodded and relaxed slightly.

I heard their voices getting closer and could start to make out what they were saying now. Charlie cocked his ear in the direction of the doorway too so I knew he could hear them as well. Eavesdropping was not the nicest thing in the world to do but this was my daughter and I was her mother. I had permission, at times like these anyway.

"Bella," I heard a rather deep male voice say, "Why do you put up with the way Jessica and Lauren treat you? It's not right."

Charlie stiffened by my side and listened harder.

"Edward-." Bella said, her voice pleading.

"No, Bella. I was there when they talked to you in the hallway yesterday remember? I heard the horrible things they were saying to you. And then just now too. They should _never_ speak to you that way. Why do you let them?" Edward said asked.

I heard Bella give a deep sigh.

"Okay, I'll tell you but you have to promise me not to tell my mom or Charlie. It will only upset them and there is nothing they can do about it anyway." She said.

Edward huffed out a breath. I could almost hear the mental struggle in his head.

"Fine." He said at last.

"Alright, well you know that Renee found me in an orphanage right? Well let's just say that they are not bright happy places. Renee is such a wonderful woman. She is a free spirit; she's happy and funny and caring and when she and Phil adopted me I was happier than I could remember being in a long time. Life at home was great. We all laughed and played and had so much fun together. Then Phil died."

I felt tears well up in my eyes at the mournful tone of her voice. I did miss Phil; even now that Charlie had made me so happy.

"Renee…well she was devastated, just completely wrecked. I had to take over the house stuff. You know, laundry and cleaning and making sure the bills were paid. I was only eleven. I even did the cooking. That is how I got this scar actually."

I knew what scar she meant. It ran from her wrist to halfway up her arm, almost to her elbow.

"I was cooking dinner one night and got burnt on the stove. Renee had to take me to the hospital. I think that was when she woke up from her depression." Bella said.

I remember that night so clearly. Bella was trying to be so brave but she knew she was hurt too. She had walked into the living room where I was sitting. She'd had to shake me a few times before I acknowledged her. I looked up to see my precious girl, looking so strong and so lost at the same time. She showed me where she had gotten hurt and something in me snapped. I realized then what I had been doing. Hiding in my grief while Bella was trying to be mother and daughter at the same time. I knew at that moment I would never put her through anything like that again. I felt the tears run down my face and Charlie drew me into his embrace.

"She was better after that. She started being Mom again. But the fire in her was almost gone. She just wasn't the same. Then she started going to a dating website and that is where she met Charlie."

I could hear the smile in her voice when she said Charlie's name. From the look on his face I knew he did too.

"Edward, it was amazing. Suddenly she was happy again. Smiling and laughing and she was the same Renee who had rescued me from that orphanage. That was Charlie. He did that. He gave me back my Mom. I can never repay him for that. Ever." She said.

"That's why you let the girls treat you so badly." Edward said, realization dawning in his voice.

"Yes, Charlie and Renee have enough to worry about. Raising three teenage girls is not cheap you know." She said on a soft laugh. "They don't need all the infighting to stress them out even more. The girls put on a nice face at home because they know that they will get in trouble if they are mean to me here. As long as Charlie and Mom are happy I can take anything the girls throw at me. It doesn't matter how they treat me, as long as it makes life easier for Charlie and Renee. I owe them both so much." I could hear the tears in her voice as she said the last part. Apparently Edward could too.

"Hey, hey." He said quietly. "Shhh, it's okay. I didn't mean to make you cry. Your parents are so lucky to have someone like you. You are the best person I know. Just please understand that I will never tolerate them speaking to you like that when I am around. You are too good a person and I care about you too much to _ever_ allow that, alright?"

I like this Edward already I decided. He obviously cared for my girl and wanted to protect her. I appreciated that, especially when it seemed I was unable to do so. I looked up at Charlie and his expression was one of anger and awe.

"I can't believe my girls would do that to Bella." He said softly, though I could hear the anger in his tone.

"I'm so sorry Charlie." I said. I knew he hated hearing these things about Jessica and Lauren.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that they are hurting Bella and that I never noticed it before." He took my face in his hands. "She said she owes me but really I owe the both of you. The girls and I were lost without the two of you. I thank God every day that I finally listened to Billy's advice and went to that website. I would never have found you otherwise." He said, kissing me softly.

Tears welled up again. I shook my head. "We were both lucky to find each other. But, Charlie, what are we going to do? Bella doesn't want us to know what is happening but we can't allow it to continue either." I said in soft despair.

Charlie shook his head. "I don't know. We will figure something out. Now pull yourself together, sweetheart. They will be in here in a few seconds."

I hastily dabbed my eyes and turned with a large, albeit fake, smile on my face when Bella and Edward walked into the kitchen.

She had him by the hand and was almost dragging him into the room. He looked so adorably nervous and I smiled for real. This boy was taking care of my girl and nothing could have endeared him more to me.

"Mom, Charlie, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, these are my parents, Charlie and Renee." Bella said.

Edward stepped up to Charlie, his hand outstretched. "Mr. Swan, it is a pleasure to meet you, sir." He said respectfully, looking Charlie in the eye.

I could tell that Charlie liked him too because though he still looked somewhat stern, as father-of-a-girl-going-out-on-her-first-date should, his eyes were twinkling.

"It's nice to meet you too, Edward. Please call me Charlie." He said.

Edward's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "Yes, sir. Thank you." He said.

"So where are you two off to tonight?" Charlie asked.

"My parents would like to meet Bella so my mother is making us dinner. Then we are going to go bowling in Port Angeles." Edward said.

"Ooh, that sounds nice." I said with a smile. "Bella, eleven." I said, reminding her of her curfew.

"Yes, Mom. I won't be late." She said, smiling.

"I will make sure she is home on time." Edward said.

"Alright." Charlie said. He fixed Edward with a serious father-to-teenage-boy look. "You take care of my girl now." He said.

Edward nodded his understanding. "I will, sir. Count on it."

Charlie nodded once before turning to Bella. His eyes softened as he looked at her.

"You have fun Bells." He said softly. She smiled up at him.

"Thanks Charlie, I will. See you guys later." She said. She started dragging Edward out of the kitchen again.

"Good night, Charlie, Mrs. Swan." Edward said as Bella pulled him from the room.

"Renee!" I called out to him.

I heard him say "yes, ma'am" before the front door shut behind him and they were gone.

I quickly turned to Charlie.

"I like him." I said. Charlie gave me an indulgent smile.

"I do too. But if he ever hurts her I will break out the shovel and the shotgun. You know that right?" He said. His expression was soft but I knew that he would not put up with anyone hurting Bella again, especially after what we had both heard tonight.

I nodded, before the tears started to well up in my eyes again. What had I ever done to deserve such a wonderful daughter and such a wonderful husband?  
"Shh, sweetheart. It will be alright. We will figure this out together, okay?" Charlie said.

I dabbed at my eyes and wrapped my arms around him.

"I know we will. We have to do something special for Bella. Something to _try_ to make it up to her for all that she has put up with for the last few years."

Charlie nodded into my hair. "What did you have in mind?" He asked.

I pulled back a little and smiled into his eyes.

"I know just the thing." I said.

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Edwards's POV

I managed to escape Bella's home unscathed and we were driving towards my house. Meeting Charlie and Renee had been nerve-racking. I had never really had to meet the father of a girl I was dating before and I was worried about making a good impression. Bella's mother had been nice and Charlie had been intimidating but not scary. I think it went well, all in all.

I was still amazed by what Bella had told me. I think I was finally starting to understand now why she put up with so much from her evil stepsisters. She felt like she owed it to Charlie and Renee. I still resolved to make sure that her stepsisters hurt her as little as possible.

Now, on our way to my house I had no idea what I was letting myself in for by having Bella over for dinner before we had even gone on our date. I was very hopeful that the cool parents I knew I had were home instead of the embarrass-me-at-every-turn-because-it's-funny ones.

We pulled into the long, almost three mile drive that led to the house. I loved the privacy that the house had. There were never unexpected visitors and you knew when you were alone that you were truly alone.

Bella sat in the passenger seat, fidgeting. She looked amazing tonight. Amazing was not a strong enough word. Beautiful, spectacular, gorgeous. They would do I supposed. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a purple top that made her skin glow and her eyes take on a hint of violet. She wore her dark hair curled down around her shoulders and she had on just a hint of makeup. She was biting down on her bottom lip like she did when she was nervous.

"Relax. They will love you, trust me." I said.

She looked over at me and gave me a small smile.

"I hope so. My stomach still feels like I swallowed a bucket of butterflies." She laughed.

"Why are you so nervous?" I asked.

"Weren't you nervous to meet Charlie and my mom?" I nodded. I had been very nervous actually. I wanted to continue to see Bella and I needed them to approve of me.

"Well I want to keep seeing you and I want them to approve of me. So I'm nervous." It was uncanny how she managed to echo my thoughts. And I was very happy that she wanted to date me as much as I wanted to date her.

"Well, I will tell you now that you have nothing to worry about. Remember what I told you happened when I came home after I met you?" She nodded. "They attribute all that to you. So do I actually. So they are prepared to adore you unless you do something really drastic like burn the house down or something." I laughed.

"Considering how clumsy I am I would not put it past me." She laughed and I could see some of the tension leave her.

We pulled up in front of the house and I heard Bella gasp.

"You live _here?!_" She said.

"Uh, yeah. Do you like it?" I asked.

"Silly question. It's beautiful. I can't wait to see the inside." She practically bolted from the car before I could get around to open it for her.

It was a large three story white house that to me had always looked like one of those southern plantation houses. It had a large veranda that was held up by large white columns and the shutters were painted a dark green. The front door was a bright red and it gave the house a cheery feeling.

I led Bella up the stairs and held the door open for her. She walked inside and looked around, a big smile on her face.

Carlisle and Esme were standing in the living room, waiting for us. I led Bella over to them.

"Mom, Dad this is Bella. Bella these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme." I said, gesturing.

"It is very nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Edward has told me so many wonderful things about you." She said.

She reached her hand out and shook Carlisle's hand firmly. I could see the smile play around his lips as he released her hand.

She turned towards Esme and Esme wasted no time reaching forward to hug her. I knew that she had been waiting to do so ever since I had first told them about Bella.

Bella did not seem embarrassed at all by Esme's warm greeting. She hugged her back just as intensely. Esme let her go and stood back from her a little, smiling.

"Wow Mrs. Cullen. You give chocolate chip cookie hugs." Bella said. Esme and Carlisle looked at her inquiringly and I saw Bella's cheeks pinken.

"What do you mean dear?" Esme asked.

"Just that a hug from you feels warm and sweet and comforting, like a chocolate chip cookie." She shook her head, embarrassed. "Sorry, I have a knack for saying odd things. Just ignore me." Bella laughed.

"Oh no, dear. I think that is very sweet. Thank you. And please, call me Esme."

"Thank you Esme." Bella said shyly.

"Well, dinner is almost ready. Edward, do you mind setting the table while Esme and I finish in the kitchen?" Carlisle asked.

"Not at all." I replied.

Bella volunteered to help and I showed her where the napkins and plates were while I went into the kitchen to get the glasses and silverware.

Esme peeked around me the moment I walked in and apparently satisfied that Bella was not behind me, immediately pounced.

"Edward I love her already. She seems so sweet and shy and you didn't tell us how beautiful she is." She gushed.

"Just don't overwhelm her Mom. She was a nervous wreck on the way here, worried that you wouldn't like her. She is afraid of making a bad impression. And you see how easily embarrassed she is. That cookie thing had her blushing like crazy." I laughed.

"I thought that was really sweet. And a pretty good description of Esme's hugs too. They do make you feel like that. I just would never have thought to describe them that way." Carlisle laughed.

"Bella is always interesting if nothing else. If the food is ready lets go ahead and bring it in. We do still have an hour drive to Port Angeles to make." I said, grabbing the silverware and drinking glasses. Carlisle picked up the dish of cacciatore and we made our way out of the kitchen.

We all walked into the dining room and stopped short. Perched on each plate was an intricately folded napkin, all in different shapes.

"Bella? What are these?" Esme exclaimed.

Bella looked a little sheepish. "Sorry, old habit. My mom taught me how to fold napkins when I was young and it's something I do whenever we have a sit down dinner. It always seems to make everything so much nicer. I didn't realize what I was doing until I finished the last one. I can unfold them if you like." She said quickly.

"No! Don't do that!" Esme said smiling. "They are so beautiful and intricate. What are they?" She asked.

Bella blushed a little and pointed to the plate at the end of the table where Esme sat. "The one on your plate is a rose, beautiful and sweet. The one on Carlisle's plate is a water lily. They seem gentle and serene on the surface but are strong underneath. Edward's is a bird of paradise. They are beautiful and sought after." She winked at me. "This one is a swan, well because my last name is Swan." She shrugged. "Just one of many completely useless skills I have managed to pick up over the years." She giggled. Carlisle and Esme were looking at her in wonder.

"Well thank you for them dear. Now you are in trouble because I will want you to do this every time we have dinner now." Esme laughed and Bella relaxed.

"Time to eat." Carlisle said. He dished out helpings of cacciatore to everyone and sat down at the head of the table. He had moved his napkin to the side and now sat staring at it.

"What's wrong Dad?" I asked.

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "It seems a shame to unfold it now." We all laughed and he looked up sheepishly before smiling and shaking out the napkin and spreading it on his lap.

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Esme's POV

I watched Bella all during the meal. The more I found out about her the more I loved her. She was smart and funny and held herself with a certain confidence that showed what a strong person she was. She was also endearingly shy, with an innocence that you had to love.

I could see why Edward was taken with her from the very start. Of course she was beautiful with lovely dark hair and warm brown eyes. But I think there was so much more than that that had appealed to Edward. She seemed to always have a smile on her face or to find the humor in things. She had a way with words that kept you wondering what she was going to say next. She also seemed to give as good as she got with Edward. I watched as they bantered back and forth throughout the meal. Edward had a wickedly sarcastic streak and she held her own with him effortlessly, even leaving him speechless sometimes. Edward loved a challenge and I think this sweet girl was just the one to give it to him.

He focused his attention on her completely. Nothing she said or did seemed to escape him. His eyes sparkled when she laughed at his jokes and he was more relaxed and open than I had ever seen him. She had changed him in ways I don't think even he was aware of. I had never seen him smile so much before. He was playing the piano again for the first time in months. I don't think he was aware of it but I believed that the new song he was composing was about Bella. She had sparked something within him and I was very interested in learning more about the girl who had transformed my Edward.

The night he came home after meeting her would be burned into my memory forever. For as long as Edward had been with us he had never once called me Mom. I loved him with all my heart and longed for the day that he would feel comfortable enough to do so. As the years had passed I had resigned myself to the fact that he never would. I think that deep down he was afraid of being too attached. I knew that he'd had several foster parents, some only lasting for a few months before he was shipped to another family. Stability was something that he did not take for granted.

Yet even after all the time he had been with us and as much a part of the family he knew he was, inside I think he still held a little boy's fear of being sent away again. Whatever Bella had said to him had wiped that all away. I think for the first time he finally accepted that he was here to stay; that we wanted him forever.

Carlisle seemed to like Bella as much as I did. He told me that night, when Edward came home and had thanked us for adopting him, that he already felt a strong sense of protectiveness towards Bella. We had both been shocked when Edward had told us about the relationship she had with her stepsisters. I was astonished that she so willingly took their abuse so her parents could be happy and worry free. It was not something you would expect from a typical teenager. But I was quickly learning that Bella was not a typical teenager.

"Esme, that was delicious." Bella said, interrupting my reverie. "You have to give me the recipe."

"Of course dear. This is one of Edward's favorites actually." I said smiling.

Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she looked at Edward. "Then I definitely have to learn to make it. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach right?" She said smiling. Edward grinned at her.

"That's true." I said. "Why do you think Carlisle and I have been together so long?" I said laughing.

"That's right, angel. I only married you for your cooking skills." Carlisle said, winking at me.

"Thank you sweetie. I knew there _had_ to be some reason." I chuckled.

"Mom this was great but I think we need to go ahead and get going. Bella's curfew is eleven and it is an hour drive both ways." Edward said. Both he and Bella stood up.

"Certainly. You kids go on. Your father will help me clean up." I said. Carlisle groaned dramatically.

"Oh don't give me that. Get your butt in that kitchen." I said, flicking my napkin at him as he passed beside me, picking up plates.

"Only if _your_ cute butt follows after me." He whispered in my ear. His eyes were smoldering and I felt myself blushing. Even after all this time Carlisle could still send shivers of excitement up my spine with just a look.

"Why, Dr. Cullen what did you have in mind?" I said softly. His eyes flared and he looked back at Edward and Bella quickly before turning to me. He put his lips very close to my ear.

"Wait until the kids are gone and I will show you exactly what I have in mind." I felt my skin tingle at his words.

"Well you two have fun. Bella it was so nice to meet you. Please come again soon." I said.

"Thank you Esme, Carlisle. I had a good time. Have a good night." She said. Edward was escorting her out of the room, his hand on the small of her back.

I felt two arms wrap around my waist as soon as I heard the front door close. I turned and looked up into the heated gaze of my husband.

"Now, weren't you going to show me something?" I asked before reaching up to kiss him.

It was a while before the dishes got done.

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Bella's POV

The trip to Port Angeles was filled with quiet conversation. We didn't talk about much, just school and things like that. We pulled up in front of the bowling alley having made record time due to Edward's insane but exhilarating driving.

We secured a lane and paid for our shoes. I don't think that there is anything in the world more adorable than Edward Cullen in green and red bowling shoes.

After a lengthy search I finally managed to find a bowling ball that I could lift and that I could fit my fingers in. When I got back to the lane I saw the names that Edward had entered in for us.

Hot Stuff and Sweet Thang.

I almost dropped my bowling ball on my foot from laughing so hard.

"Hot Stuff" went first, knocking down about six pins with his first shot and two more with his second. Let me just say, if anyone can make bowling sexy it is Edward Cullen. Watching the way his shoulders moved as he swung that bowling ball and the way his legs bent and moved as he released it, well I would never look at bowling the same way ever again.

I managed to knock down seven pins on my first shot and then gutter ball the next one which made me giggle.

"You are going to at least _try_ to give me a run for my money aren't you?" he asked smiling down at me.

"What's this? A challenge? Dear sir I accept." I said mockingly. He smiled and rolled his eyes.

I pretended to huff. "Alright, just for that it is on like Donkey Kong." I said sternly.

He burst out laughing.

We played four games. We flirted back and forth like crazy, issuing challenges to each other like "I bet you can't knock down all the pins on just the right hand side" etc.

I slipped twice, which is pretty good for me since it seems like the floors of bowling alleys were always covered in Crisco. Edward caught me both times and stayed pretty close to me after that, just in case he said. I was so not complaining.

We were actually both pretty good bowlers and even though Edward won three of the games he only beat me by about four pins each time. I ended up with a 220 average and his was 226 so always the gentleman Edward called it a draw.

We turned in our shoes and made our way outside. It was almost ten now and we needed to start on the way back to my house so I wouldn't miss curfew.

We walked out to the Volvo and when we made it to the passenger side I turned to Edward before he could open my door. He looked down at me with a question in his eyes.

"So, you know when we get to my house that my parents and my stepsisters will probably be watching us through the window." I said with a smile.

"Yes, you're probably right." He said, smiling back.

"Well I was thinking that instead of having an audience later we could kiss now." His eyebrows shot up in surprise. I felt my face turn red. Had I really just said that to him? What was he thinking about me now? Jesus, I wasn't even certain that he really did _want_ to kiss me. I am such an idiot!

"Not that I was expecting a kiss or anything." I said quickly. "I mean…I want to kiss you but…I mean…I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to kiss me because I said something…I mean…" My insane rambling was cut off by his cool fingers against my lips. He was smiling softly at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Bella?" He said, pulling his fingers from my lips and cupping my cheek with his hand.

"Hmmm?" It was the only response I felt capable of giving.

"Shut up." He said, just before his lips pressed against mine.

Cashmere. Satin. I didn't have a word to describe just how soft and silky Edward's lips were against mine. I could have read a thousand word essay about how amazing it was to kiss Edward Cullen and it would not have prepared me for the reality.

He tilted his head slightly and our lips fit together perfectly. His lips moved over mine, brushing against them once, twice and the third time they lingered, pressing soft little nibbling kisses against my lips. I copied his movements and then he opened his mouth, running his tongue across my bottom lip. I opened my mouth hesitantly and he dipped inside.

I felt as if I was on fire and melting into a puddle at the same time. My hands reached up of their own accord and plunged into his hair, gripping it in my fingers. It seemed to electrify Edward whose hands moved as well. One moved into my hair, fisting it lightly and the other cupped the nape of my neck. He pulled me tighter into his kiss as our tongues brushed softly together.

I felt dizzy for a moment and realized I needed oxygen. Edward came to the same realization and pulled back from me, resting his forehead against mine. Seeming unable to stop himself he continued to brush soft kisses against my lips, my cheek, my jaw before pulling me back into his arms and kissing me again. Who needs oxygen anyway? I would gladly give it up to kiss Edward forever.

Finally we broke apart and I curled myself around his lithe frame, our chests heaving together. When I could breathe normally again I pulled back slightly, though I did not let him go. I looked up at him and he was smiling down at me, emerald eyes sparkling even in the dim light of the parking lot.

"Wow." I said.

"Wow indeed." He said, laughing softly.

I pressed my face back into his chest, nuzzling gently and I felt him chuckle. His hands were running gentle trails up and down my spine.

"Bella?" He said.

"Yes?" I didn't move.

"Baby, we can't stand in the parking lot all night." He said in amusement.

My heart leapt at his endearment.

I nodded into his chest and pulled back from him, reaching up to cup his cheeks before pulling his head towards mine. I brushed my lips against his.

"Best first kiss ever." I said and was rewarded with my favorite grin.

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Edward's POV

I helped Bella into the car and made my way around to the driver's side. I paused for just a moment to take a steadying breath before climbing inside.

Bella was looking at me with a beautifully dreamy smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were sparkling and her lips were just slightly swollen.

Those lips. Damn. I could kiss Bella forever. Her lips were even softer than I had imagined they would be and I had done a lot of imagining. I felt like I was made to kiss her, like I had been born with the sole purpose of kissing Bella Swan. It was all I could do not to pull over to the side of the road and continue where we had left off in the parking lot. I pulled out onto the highway and started on the way back to Forks instead.

I had been pleasantly surprised when she had suggested having our first kiss before I took her home. And now, considering how amazing it was and how close I had been to getting completely carried away I'm glad we had. I really didn't need Charlie coming outside brandishing a shotgun.

She had been so adorable in her ramblings. I was of course hoping for a goodnight kiss but hearing that she was too had been all the invitation I had needed.

Now we were driving back to her house, our hands intertwined between us. I would occasionally pull her soft warm hand to my lips and was rewarded with her beautiful smile. I would smile back and so we spent most of the drive back grinning at each other like two very happy idiots.

It seemed way too soon when we pulled up in front of her house. I parked the car and shut off the engine but made no move to get out. Bella looked like she did not want to get out either. I checked my watch; we still had ten minutes before she had to be inside.

I turned to her and she mimicked me, unbuckling her seatbelt to face me more fully.

"So…" I said. "I'm guessing that since you have never been kissed that you have never had a boyfriend either?" I said.

Her breath caught and she shook her head.

"Not unless you count going steady for four days in Junior High." She said laughing.

"Hmm, I suppose you _could _count that. Do you see me as a likely candidate for boyfriend then?" I asked. Her eyes widened for a second before she smiled at me brilliantly.

"Edward Cullen, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" She said coyly.

"Isabella Swan, I am indeed. Do you accept?" I asked smiling.

In response she leaned forward quickly and pressed her lips to mine. She pulled back slightly and looked me in the eye.

"I most certainly do." She whispered. I could not resist kissing those beautiful lips so close to mine. She pulled back, a little breathless. I was having a hard time catching my breath as well.

"I have to go inside or I'll be late." She said softly, clearly unwilling to get out of the car.

I nodded and got out, walking over to open her door. She got out and stood next to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I held her to me, stroking her beautiful dark hair.

She released me and turned towards the house. I fell into step beside her, taking her hand. I walked her up the steps and we stood facing each other at her door.

"I really had a great time Edward." She said smiling up at me.

I ran my fingers down her cheek and she blushed.

"Me too. Can I call you tomorrow?" I asked.

"I'll be very disappointed if you don't." She said.

I smiled and bent down to kiss her softly, mindful that now we may have an audience.

She kissed me back, softly but with enthusiasm. I smiled against her lips and pulled back.

"Good night my Bella. Sweet dreams." I said softly.

"Good night Edward. I know my dreams will be sweet because they will be about you." She smiled at me and opened her door, leaving me on the front porch staring like the lovesick idiot I was. The click of the door being shut broke me from my spell and I turned and leapt off the porch in my excitement. I managed to contain myself until I got in my car and waited until I was halfway down the road before I could hold it in no more.

"YES!" I yelled in victory.

Best first date _ever_!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay here we go! Another chapter. Sorry that it has taken so long to write it but life intervenes. This chapter is paced a little slower than the others but hopefully you will think it is sweet and not just plodding lol.**

**I want to say thanks to all my readers and to those who take time to review my story. Special shout outs go to Kiwibeme,alley83, jerseyhalliwell, DaughterofSorceress-Lion, aerobee82 and Neliz DB Love. Thanks for the love guys!**

**So, on with the show:**

Bella's POV

I closed the front door and took a deep breath. I could not help the huge grin that plastered my face. _Edward Cullen asked me to be his girlfriend!_ My mind screamed. I did not think you could put so much happy inside one person but I felt like I was bursting with it.

"Bella, honey? Is that you?" My mom called from the kitchen. I walked down the hallway and saw her sitting at the table. She was wearing her bathrobe and had a cup of tea and a book in front of her.

She took one look at my face and burst into giggles.

"Looks like someone had a hell of a date." She said smiling.

"Oh Mom!" I said as I half-ran to her side. I gave her a big hug and could feel her body shake as she giggled again.

"I take that as a yes. Ok, so sit down and tell me all about it." She said.

"Ok well, I met his parents who are really nice by the way. They live in this huge house on the outside of town. Esme, his mom, is really sweet and Carlisle, his dad, is a pretty funny guy. He is the new doctor here so I will probably see a whole lot of him." I said wryly. Mom laughed and nodded in agreement. My hospital visits numbered well into double digits. I could be a bazillionaire if I could find the cure for klutziness.

"Anyway, we drove to Port Angeles and went bowling. He beat me but not by much so he called it a draw which was pretty sweet." I took a deep breath. I felt my face break out into another cheek-splitting grin.

"Then he kissed me and asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes." I said all in one breath.

Mom smiled at me. "Aww sweetie that is so great. I like him. He seemed really sweet."

"He really is, Mom. I really like him a lot." I said smiling.

"I can tell. Charlie likes him too you know. Though of course he still is playing Dad and says to be careful." She said grinning.

I nodded. "I figured as much. That is the way Charlie is. But I love him for it."

Renee got up and went to her purse on the countertop. "Before I forget, I went to the pharmacy and refilled your prescription. And you have an appointment with your gyno next month on the fifth." She said, handing me a small blue package. I had been on the Pill since last year to regulate my periods.

"Thanks. You know I always get so embarrassed when I have to go up and ask for it myself. Especially when Mr. Yorkie is there. Ugh. Makes me feel like the whole town knows my business. And I don't even have any business!" I said laughing.

Renee laughed. "Maybe not right now, but you might have some in the near future."

"Mom!"

"I'm serious Bella. You're seventeen. Still young, yes, but you are becoming a woman more and more every day. You are going to have sex sometime. Might as well get over being embarrassed about it now." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so. But…is it, ya' know…bad…the first time? I mean I have heard girls say it is really awkward and painful and I am dreading that. I am awkward enough as it is." I said with a rueful laugh.

"Well, of course there will be pain the first couple of times. You body has to get used to being…ugh I hate this word…_penetrated._" She shivered and chuckled at the same time. "And I can't guarantee that it won't be awkward. It usually is. But if you are with someone you care about deeply then it can also be amazing and beautiful. I know that you are going to be having sex, maybe even lots of it, but I want you to promise me that you will only do it with someone that you love. Don't just have sex because everyone else seems to be. Most of them are not having as much as they say they are having anyway. Only go as far as you are ready to go. You have all the time in the world sweetie. Make the most of it, okay?" Renee looked like she was about to start crying.

I moved around the table and stood behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"I will, Mom. I am not ready to rush into anything yet. I don't think I am the type of girl to become promiscuous anyway." I said.

"Me either sweetie. You are such an old soul, kind of old fashioned. My old-lady teenager." She laughed.

"And you are the young hip mom." I said, squeezing her tight for a moment. "Thanks for that. I know I can talk to you about anything and that is just amazing."

She sniffled before tapping my hands. "Thanks my girl. Now you need to get to bed. You have a boyfriend to dream about." She giggled.

"MOM! Were you listening at the door?" I asked in embarrassed annoyance.

Renee's eyes went wide and innocent. Too innocent.

"Would I do a thing like that?" She asked.

"Hell yes."

She burst out laughing. "Yeah you know me too well. I couldn't help it. You're my baby."

I was infinitely glad now that Edward and I had kissed at the bowling alley.

"So was your first kiss the knock-your-socks-off experience you hoped it would be?"

I blushed, hard. I still felt tingly from that kiss.

Renee laughed at my expression. "I take that as a yes. Well I'm glad. Every girl's first kiss should be amazing."

"It was Mom. It was…wow…just…wow."

She laughed. "Good. Now shoo. Off to bed with you." She got up and kissed me on the cheek before leaving the kitchen.

I drifted upstairs and into the bathroom. I washed my makeup off and brushed my teeth before going into my room and changing into my pajamas.

I lay down on the bed and reflected on my night. An amazing date, a mind-blowing kiss and a brand new hotter-than-a-bonfire boyfriend.

Life rocked.

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Edward's POV

I walked into my house and saw the kitchen light still on. I made my way there and as expected Esme and Carlisle were seated at the table, drinking tea.

"Hello dear. How was your date?" Esme asked, eyes gleaming.

I could not help the smile that worked its way across my face.

"Great. Really great." I said.

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a smile.

"So are you going to keep seeing her then?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded. "Actually I asked her to be my girlfriend and she said yes."

Esme gasped and smiled.

"Oh Edward, that is great. I am so happy for you dear."

"Me too." Carlisle said.

"Thanks. Well, I'm going to head off to bed. See you in the morning." I said. I kissed Esme on the cheek and laid my hand on Carlisle's shoulder, our usual goodnight routine, before leaving the kitchen and making my way to the stairs.

"Edward, will you join me in my study for a moment?" Carlisle called to me.

I turned and followed him into the study and he shut the door behind me. I looked at him in curiosity as he sat on the soft leather couch and gestured for me to join him.

"What's up Dad?" I asked.

Carlisle blew out his breath before speaking.

"Okay Edward, you are seventeen and I am not going to embarrass you by treating you like a kid." He paused. "You know to be…responsible right?" He looked uncomfortable.

I realized what he was getting at and felt my cheeks burn slightly. I was blushing. Jesus.

"Um, yeah Dad. I mean we had Sex Ed in school or whatever. I think I know what I need to know." I said.

He looked a little relieved. "Oh. Good. Um, have you…I mean… are you a-?"

"Dad!" I interrupted in mortification. "You know I have never had a serious girlfriend." I could not believe that I was having this conversation.

"Ah. I see. Okay. Well. Yes. Alright." He did not seem to be able to say more.

"Look Dad, I understand the…uh…mechanics of everything and I know to be careful okay? Besides, Bella and I just met. It's kind of early days to be thinking along those lines, ya' know?"

"Never too early son. And I'm sorry I had to bring it up but you know how your mom is. She insisted." He looked a little sheepish.

"I understand. Just…let's forget this conversation ever happened and never speak of it again okay?"

He looked relieved again. "Yes, I agree." He exhaled heavily. "You'd think being a doctor these kinds of things would be easier but it's never easy when it is your own children." He shook his head ruefully.

"So you had this talk with Emmett too?" I asked, smiling for the first time since I walked into the study.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes and Jasper too. With pretty much the same results." He said chuckling.

"Okay. Can I go now?" I asked, eyeing the door. This was enough embarrassment for one night.

"Yeah. Go get some sleep. And when you talk to Bella tell her she is welcome here anytime. Your mom and I really like her, son. I think you will be good for each other."

I gave him a wide smile. "Thanks Dad. That means a lot." We clapped each other on the shoulder again and I left the study and went upstairs to my room, flopping on the bed.

What a night. A great date, an amazing kiss, a wonderful new girlfriend. The sex talk had put a little bit of a dampener on things but I had been expecting it at some time anyway.

A knock on my door distracted me from my thoughts.

"Come in." I called out, not moving from my position on the bed. I was sprawled on it sideways, feet on the floor and my hands clasped behind my head.

The door opened and Emmett and Jasper walked into my room. They laid down on the bed next to me, Jasper on the right and Emmett on the left, and adopted the same pose I was in.

"Good night?" Emmett asked.

"Great." I replied smiling.

"So you and Bella official?" Jasper asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I asked her tonight and she said yes."

"You kiss her?" Emmett asked.

I couldn't help but grin. "Yeah and it was fucking amazing." I could still feel my lips tingle from that kiss.

"Hmm." Emmett said.

"Carlisle give you the sex talk?" Jasper asked.

"Ugh. Yeah. He told me he gave you guys the same one." I laughed.

"If you could call it that." Emmett said. "More like him stammering and uncomfortable until I put him out of his misery and told him I knew what was what."

"Same here." Jasper said.

"Same here." I echoed.

We all laughed.

"You guys have good dates?" I asked. They had taken Alice and Rosalie on a double date.

"Fuck yeah." Emmett said. "Rosie is awesome."

I chuckled and looked over at Jasper. He turned his head towards me and grinned and I knew then that he'd had a good time too.

"Well enough of this male bonding shit. I'm going to bed." Emmett said, getting up. "G'night Edward."

"G'night Emmett." I said. Jasper got up and followed him out.

"G'night Jasper."

"G'night Edward."

"What are we-the Walton's?" Emmett yelled. Jasper and I laughed and he shut the door behind him as he left.

What a night.

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Bella's POV

I woke up the next morning to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I fumbled around on the nightstand and opened it without opening my eyes.

"Hello?" I said groggily.

"Hey beautiful. Did I wake you?" Edward said.

I sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Yeah, but its okay. What time is it anyway?"

"Ten. I figured you would have already been awake. Sorry Babe."

I was feeling more awake now and got out of bed. I stubbed my toe on the foot of the bed as I made my way to the dresser.

"Ouch! Dammit! Ouch! No, it's okay. I needed to get up." My toe was throbbing.

"What happened? Did you hurt yourself?" He asked, concerned.

"I just stubbed my toe on the way to the dresser. I'm okay. So what are you up to?" I asked, pulling out a pair of jeans from the dresser before moving to the closet to find a shirt.

"I was just seeing what your plans were for the day. I wanted to spend some time with my new girlfriend." I could hear the smile in his voice and I couldn't help grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, Mom and I have to practice our techniques in a little while and then tonight I am having a sleepover with Rose and Alice. I am free in between." Rose had texted me last night when I got home that she was coming to get me at six and I better be ready. You don't argue with Rose when she is like that.

"Techniques? What techniques?" Edward asked.

"Oh, we practice self-defense on Saturdays. Usually Charlie volunteers to be our fake attacker so we can make sure we are doing them right." I was putting on my clothes as we spoke and the last part was a little muffled.

Edward burst out laughing. "So you really can break Mike's nose if you have to? That's too funny. Can I watch while you guys practice?"

I hesitated. I'd practiced enough that I didn't feel awkward doing my moves but I would hate it if I embarrassed myself while Edward was here. "Well, yeah I guess. Just don't laugh okay?"

"I won't." Edward promised.

"Alright. Well, why don't you come on over and we can hang out until Mom and Charlie are ready."

"Okay, sounds good. I will see you in a few." He said.

"Okay, bye."

"Bye Babe." He said and hung up.

I smiled at the phone then finished in my room and made my way downstairs.

Renee was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee when I came downstairs.

"Hey sleepy head. About time you hauled your butt out of bed." I poked my tongue out at her and made my way to the coffee pot. After I had fixed myself a cup I sat down at the table across from her.

"You should thank Edward for waking me up. He called me a few minutes ago. He is on his way over to watch us spar with Charlie."

Renee's face fell. "Oh sweetie, I forgot to tell you that Charlie wasn't going to be here this morning. He went to La Push to see Billy."

"Oh, well that's okay. I'll tell Edward when he gets here. Maybe we will watch a movie or something." I shrugged.

I noticed how quiet the house was then. "Where are Lauren and Jessica?"

Renee shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You know them. It's Saturday so they are in Port Angeles, hanging out at the mall. They will be back later this afternoon."

The doorbell rang then and I got up to answer it.

I opened the door and there he was. He was always so breathtaking. Even in jeans and sneakers and a long sleeve green shirt he was gorgeous.

I smiled at him and he gave me my grin.

"Hey." I said.

"Hey." He said softly before bending to brush a kiss on my lips. I blushed and smiled up at him before shutting the door behind him.

I turned around and he pulled me into a hug.

"Hey there." He said into my hair.

I breathed in his scent and chuckled. "You already said that."

"Yeah but I didn't get a hug. It doesn't count if I don't get a hug." He laughed.

I looked up into his beautiful green eyes. He was smiling down at me with amusement. He brushed another kiss on my lips before pulling back and brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Bella? Is that Edward?" My mom called.

"Yes." I called back, taking him by the hand and pulling him into the kitchen.

"Hello Edward." Mom said.

"Hello Mrs. Swan." He replied.

"Please, call me Renee." She said smiling.

He nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Did you tell him Bella?" Renee asked.

Edward looked over at me. "Tell me what?"

"Charlie isn't here so we won't be able to practice. He is our punching bag." I said.

"Oh. Well I can stand in his place if you want. I don't want you to fall out of practice. I like knowing my girl can take care of herself." He said winking.

I blushed and smiled at him. I peeked over at Renee and she was smiling too.

"That sounds great Edward." She said. I looked at him.

"Are you sure? I'd hate to hurt you on accident." I said.

He laughed. "Have you met Emmett? We wrestle all the time. I think I can take it."

I giggled. "Alright. Let's see what you've got."

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Edward's POV

Twenty minutes later I was standing outside with Bella and her mom, bent over holding my stomach while Bella apologized over and over.

"I'm so sorry Edward. You were so much closer than I thought you were. I usually stop before actually making contact. I am so sorry. Really. Are you okay?" She sounded close to tears.

I took a deep breath and stood up straight. I reached forward and took her in my arms.

"Babe, it's okay. I'm fine. Honest."

She looked up at me with concern swimming in her deep chocolate eyes.

"Really? I'm so sorry." She said, contrite.

I smiled at her. "Yeah, really. You hit pretty hard for being so little."

She smiled. "Well it wouldn't do any good to learn this stuff if I couldn't put some force behind it. Do you want to keep practicing?"

I nodded.

"Okay, well try grabbing me from behind. I need to practice the SING move."

"Sing?"

"You'll see." She said laughing.

I stood behind her and grabbed her around her shoulders, gripping the tops of her arms.

"Okay, here we go." She said.

"Solar Plexus." She brought her elbow back, stopping short of hitting me in the abdomen.

"Instep." She stepped down on the inside of my right foot, carefully. I released her, like a real attacker would.

"Nose." She brought the back of her hand up, fist clenched and stopped before hitting me in the nose.

"Groin." She swung her arm down and even though she stopped before hitting me I still flinched back and covered my crotch. Hey, I'm a guy. It's reflex.

She laughed. "I wasn't going to hit you."

I shrugged. "I know but some things are better not left to chance. I may need that later." I said winking.

She giggled and blushed. "No we wouldn't want to hurt something you might be putting to use later." I raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled.

I looked around and saw that Renee was gone.

"Where did your mom go?"

"She went inside while you were doubled over in pain." Bella said smiling.

"I think "doubled over in pain" is a little dramatic, don't you?" I said, trying to salvage a little pride. It actually had hurt quite a bit.

"Well what would you call it?" She asked cheekily.

I stalked towards her playfully. She backed up carefully, a smile playing around her lips.

"You caught me off guard, that's all."

She smirked at me knowingly. "Mmm hmm. Okay. _Suurre_." She laughed, still backing away from me. I half-lunged at her and she shrieked and turned away, laughing and running. I took off after her, catching her easily. I grabbed her around the waist, turning her towards me. The sudden change in momentum threw her off and she stumbled towards me, knocking me off balance. I wrapped my arms around her as we fell and I landed on my back, holding her against me. Our chests were pressed together and her legs were between my splayed-out ones.

I looked up at her and our noses almost touched. Her skin was flushed prettily and she was smiling down at me, her eyes sparkling. I couldn't resist. I reached my head up and kissed those soft pink lips only inches from mine.

She kissed me back, bringing her hands up around the back of my neck, into my hair.

I rested one hand on the small of her back, the other up between her shoulder blades.

Our lips moved together softly and I gently sucked her full bottom lip into my mouth.

"Bella? Are you guys finished?" I heard Renee say from inside the house.

Bella pulled back from my lips and blushed. She pulled her hands from my hair and pushed herself upright.

"Yeah Mom. We are on our way inside." She called out.

"Alright, well I have some lemonade for you two." Renee said.

"Okay."

She stood up and offered me a hand. I took it but used my own strength to pull myself upright.

"I think I definitely like being your sparring partner." I said.

She put her hands on her hips and grinned up at me. "Don't think they will _all_ end that way Mr. Cullen." She said saucily.

"I'd settle for half." I smirked back.

She laughed and grabbed my hand, dragging me into the house.

________________________________________________________________________

We spent the rest of the day together on her couch watching movies. We took turns picking the ones we wanted to watch. I chose The Dark Knight and she chose The Princess Bride. We laughed when we both quoted our movies back to each other.

The best part was just sitting with Bella, snuggled up on the couch. I grabbed a pillow and leaned against the arm of the couch. Bella moved next to me, resting her head against my shoulder and curling her legs underneath her. I put my arm around her shoulder, my hand resting on her arm. I traced little patterns on her skin with my fingertips. She held my other hand in her small one.

I had never felt so content. Every time I breathed I took in the scent of her hair. It smelled sweet, fruity. Strawberries and cream. I loved hearing the sound of her giggles or her soft sighs as she watched her movie. Sitting next to her, holding her in my arms, felt comfortable, natural.

Her mom made us sandwiches for lunch and left us alone for most of the day. I heard her moving through the house and looked up once over the top of Bella's head to see her watching us from the doorway with a soft smile on her face. She caught my eye and gave me a big grin and a wink. I was gratified that she seemed to approve of me. I smiled back at her and she walked back into the kitchen.

It was after four when the credits to the last movie began to roll. I turned and pressed my lips to her temple.

"Babe I have to get going. Carlisle and Esme had some things that they wanted me to do today." I said softly.

She turned her head and tilted it to look up at me, nodding. She smiled and disentangled herself from me and stood up. I missed the feel of her next to me.

I stood up too and we walked to the door. I stepped out onto the porch and she followed.

"Thanks for today Edward. I had a lot of fun. Especially getting to beat up on you." She grinned.

I laughed softly. "I can't say that was my _favorite_ part of the day but I liked the way the session ended." I said and watched her blush right on cue.

I bent and kissed her lips before pulling away and tracing the curve of her face with my hand.

"Do you want to come over to my house tomorrow? I'd like to play the piano for you." I asked, remembering her request from our phone conversation.

Her eyes went wide with pleasure and she nodded vigorously.

"I'd like that very much." She said.

I nodded. "Alright. I'll pick you up about one then?"

"Okay sounds good."

I pulled her into a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

She nodded and reached up to kiss me.

"Tomorrow." She turned and walked back into the house.

I walked back to my car, missing her already and already looking forward to tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bella's POV

I closed the door and went into the kitchen where Renee was. She was sitting at the table, looking over a cookbook. She was a pretty good cook but liked to experiment as well with new recipes, with mixed results.

"Hey Mom, Rose and Alice want me to come over for a sleepover tonight. Is that okay?" I asked.

"Sure sweetie. You three have lots to gossip about I am sure, with the Cullen boys and their friend in town." She said smiling.

I nodded, smiling back. "Yeah, they went on a double date with Emmett, Edward's adopted brother and Jasper, their friend who moved with them. And I know they are going to flip when they hear about Edward and me."

"I can almost hear Alice's scream from here." Renee said laughing.

"Oh! Edward wants me to come over to his house tomorrow. He said he would play the piano for me. Isn't that amazing?" I was still in awe of that skill.

"Wow. Piano huh? That _is_ impressive. That's fine with me sweetie but don't stay all day okay? Sunday remember?"

Every Sunday we all sat down as a family for dinner and discussed everything that had happened to us that week. It was one of the few times the girls and I were able to actually get along and it connected us all back to each other before beginning a new week.

"Of course. You know I won't forget. I'll be home by five, okay?"

Renee smiled. "Okay. Well have fun tonight and give my love to Rose and Alice."  
"I will. I am going to go shower and pack an overnight bag."

I went upstairs and grabbed a change of clothes before getting into the shower. After I was finished I went back into my room to pack a bag. I still had about a half an hour until Rose came to pick me up so I went downstairs with _Pride and Prejudice_ to wait for her.

I was just to the part where Elizabeth is reading Darcy's letter when the doorbell rang. I got up and opened the door. Rose was standing there, arms crossed.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

I nodded. "Let me grab my bag." I went back into the house, peeking in the kitchen on my way through.

"Bye Mom. I'll be back in the morning."

"Alright sweetie, have fun."

I grabbed my duffel bag from the living room and made my way back to the front door. Rose and I went out to her car where Alice was already waiting.

I got in back and Rose started on the way to her house.

"So…" I said.

"No!" Alice interrupted. "We are going to wait until we are all back at Rose's in her bedroom before we talk about anything important."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Alright Pixie McBossypants. You will just have to wait for my juicy news then."

Alice turned to look at me with wide eyes. She opened her mouth like she wanted to speak but I simply raised an eyebrow at her. Her eyes narrowed and she turned back with a harrumph. Rose laughed at Alice's disgruntled expression.

"Your fault, Ms. Instant Gratification. You can't stand knowing that there is a secret without having to know what it is immediately." Rose laughed again as Alice poked her tongue out at her.

"Ew!" Rose said. "If I had something that ugly in my mouth I'd stick it out too." We all laughed.

A short time later we were pulling up in front of Rose's large brick home. It was an imposing place, with a manicured lawn and carefully tended flower beds. We went up the steps and into the house. Rose led us up the massive staircase that dwarfed the foyer and into her room. Rose's room was beautiful with soft blue walls and a large wrought iron four poster bed draped with long lengths of some gauzy material. Her comforter was a deep blue shot with silver metallic threads and her carpet was a deep gray.

There was a table set up to the left of the bed that had all kinds of junk food on it and there was a stack of DVD's on top of her television. Rose had a small refrigerator in her room as well so once we settled in we would not have to leave again for the whole night.

"Okay, everyone get into your comfy clothes because we are about to have a marathon gab fest." Alice said, clapping her hands and bouncing in her excitement.

Rose and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Alice could not be contained and the vast amounts of sugar and caffeine that we were about to consume would not help at all.

I changed into a pair of blue pajama pants with cartoon frogs on them and a matching tank top that had a large picture of a frog on it. Rose wore a red silk button up pajama top and matching shorts and Alice was in a pink nightgown that stopped at her knees.

We all settled on Rose's bed and Alice broke out a bottle of red nail polish and began painting my toenails.

"Okay, Bella. Spill. I have been waiting all day to be able to ask you about your date. But I knew it would be so much better if we waited until we were all together. So start from the beginning and don't leave out one single detail."

I told them everything that happened from the moment they left. What Edward wore and how amazing he looked and what he said when I opened the door. They both smiled and sighed a little. I could not help grinning.

I told them about Edward meeting Charlie and Renee and about Edward's house and his parents. They laughed when I told them about the chocolate chip cookie hugs and the napkin folding. I described the bowling and the silly flirting and then I stopped.

Alice looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Why did you stop?" She asked.

I looked up at her and blushed and smiled at the same time.

Rose and Alice gasped.

"Did you kiss him at the bowling alley?" Rose asked, always perceptive.

I nodded, still grinning like a fool.

"Well?" They said together.

"It was…amazing…wonderful…crazy fabulous. He is an amazing kisser. I mean, I don't have a lot of experience but I can tell that was a great kiss. Then he drove me home and we were sitting in his car until it was time to go in and he asked me to be his girlfriend!" I giggled excitedly at the end of my sentence.

Rose and Alice laughed and squealed and clapped all at the same time.

"Emmett asked me to be his girlfriend too!" Rose said.

"And Jasper asked me!" Alice cried.

We lost ourselves for a few moments in excited laughter before pulling ourselves together again.

"So are you seeing Edward again before Monday?" Rose asked.

"Actually he came over today. Charlie wasn't there so Edward stood in for sparring practice then we watched movies until I came over here. I am going to his house tomorrow and he is going to play the piano for me." I said.

"Oooh!" Alice said. "He plays piano? That's hot. Musicians are passionate people you know." She said winking at me.

I blushed to the roots of my hair. "Alice!" I cried out, laughing. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I haven't even known him a week yet. He only asked me to be is girlfriend last night."

"You know you are thinking about it Bella." Rose said knowingly.

"Maybe but thinking and acting on it are two very different things. I am not ready for that yet. Geez! I just had my first kiss last night. Don't get me into bed yet."

"I'm not the one that will be trying." She laughed.

"Okay, next topic." I said, blushing and laughing at the same time.

After that the girls let it drop. We talked about Emmett and Jasper and their date. They had gone to dinner and a movie. I laughed and told them what I told Edward about movies being fourth dates and they giggled. Finally we all settled in and watched movies until early in the morning before lying down to get some sleep. I set my phone alarm for ten, knowing I would need to get home and shower to get ready for Edward to pick me up.

I woke up when my alarm went off to find that only Alice and I were in bed. I half stumbled to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I went downstairs to the enormous kitchen to find Rose sitting at the center island. She watched me walk in and handed me a cup of coffee wordlessly, a small smile on her lips.

"Thanks." I said, breathing in the warm aroma.

"I knew you would need that. You are never quite human without it. Functional maybe but not coherent." She said laughing.

I drank the coffee down happily. I looked at Rose. She looked amazing as always. I never understood how she could look so picture perfect first thing in the morning.

"You know, you are really beautiful Rosie." I said sincerely.

She smiled at me softly. "Thanks Belly. You are too you know."

I shook my head. Standing next to Rose was like putting ragweed next to an orchid.

She stood up and put her hands on my face. "Really." She said softly. "I know you don't think you are but you really truly are. And not just outside. Inside too. You are an amazing person. And all that amazing on the inside just enhances all the beautiful outside. So when I tell you you're beautiful I mean all the way through." She smiled at me again and let go of my face. "Now, get your beautiful ass upstairs and get dressed. I _do_ have other things to do besides ferry your ass around, you know." She said laughing. That was Rose, sweet and fierce.

I hugged her briefly and went upstairs as fast as I dared. I opened the door to the bedroom and saw Alice sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes. I grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom to change. When I came out Alice was already dressed.

I helped her clean up the mess that we had made the night before and she helped me get my stuff together before we both went downstairs.

Rose was waiting for us and we all went out to her car. A short time later we were pulling up in front of my house.

"I had so much fun guys. See you at school tomorrow." I waved and Rose and Alice left, off on one of their Sunday Shopping Sprees. We all had our Sunday traditions and this one was theirs. Thankfully they knew to leave me out of it.

I went inside to the kitchen where Renee was sitting.

"Hey sweetie. I saved you a plate from breakfast. It is in the microwave."

"Thanks." I ate the pancakes and bacon that she had saved for me gratefully; glad to have solid food in me after all the junk food last night.

I went upstairs to take a shower and then spent twenty minutes wrapped in a towel, staring at my closet.

It really shouldn't be this hard to find something to wear should it? I finally settled for a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a periwinkle blue v-neck shirt. I put on my Chucks and decided I would have to do.

I went downstairs and saw that I had an hour before Edward would come to pick me up. I got lost in the world of Jane Austen until I heard the doorbell ring.

I went to open it and Edward stood there, smiling at me and looking way too delicious for my peace of mind. I wanted to grab him and kiss him senseless.

Instead I stepped forward and gave him a hug, burying my face in his chest.

"Hey." I said, my voice muffled.

I felt him chuckling. "Hey beautiful." He said softly, laughter still in his voice. He ran his fingers through my hair before leaning back and tilting my face up to his. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips before leaning back to look into my eyes. His eyes were so green and they were looking into mine so intently I lost my train of thought for a moment, my mind turning to mush.

"Bella?" I heard him say and I shook my head to clear it.

"Sorry, my boyfriend overloaded my brain." I said. He laughed and kissed me again.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded and we went out to his car. He opened the door for me before getting in and starting the car. We drove to his house, holding hands and listening to music. When we pulled up in front of the house I waited until he opened my door and we went inside.

"Want a tour?" He asked.

"I'd thought you'd never ask." I said.

We spent the better part of an hour going through the house before ending up on the second floor. We stopped at a door and Edward turned to look at me.

"This is my room." He said before opening the door. I walked inside and he followed me, leaving the door half open.

I could see Esme's influence on the room in the dark sleigh bed with its dark gold comforter and the matching curtains. The dresser and nightstands were in the same dark wood as the bed and the walls were painted a warm brown. One whole wall was nothing but one large window that looked out over the forest behind the house. The opposite wall was overtaken by floor to ceiling bookshelves that housed a huge music collection and a lot of books.

"Wow. This is really awesome." I said. "You have so much music."

He nodded and smiled at me. "Yeah, music is a passion of mine." I had to turn to hide my blush as I remembered Alice's words from last night.

I turned back to him. "So can I hear you play now?"

He grinned and took me by the hand, almost dragging me downstairs.

"Eager are we?" I asked smiling.

"When it comes to you, always." He said smirking.

I blushed and shook my head. He just laughed and led me down the hallway to the music room. He pulled me over to the baby grand and sat me down on the bench next to him.

"Any requests?" He asked.

I shook my head. "You pick something." I said.

He nodded and placed his long beautiful fingers over the keys. He closed his eyes and started playing and I lost the ability to speak.

Beautiful. Magical. Astonishing. The music that came pouring out of him was magnificent. His entire demeanor changed, shifting from playful and sweet to overwhelmingly intense as his fingers flew over the keys. He was beautiful. I watched his expression as he played, the emotions of the song reflected in the furrow of his brow, the purse of his lips. His hands were graceful and sure and watching them move over the keys stirred a deep longing in my stomach.

He drew the song to a close and opened his eyes, looking over at me. I still did not have the enough coherency to speak and simply gaped at him.

He gave me a tentative smile. "So? Good? Bad? Indifferent?" He said.

I felt wetness on my cheek and did not even realize I was crying until he reached up to wipe it away.

"That bad huh?" He said with a soft smile playing on his lips.

I shook my head. "That…" I stopped, my voice hoarse. I cleared my throat and began again. "That was amazing. I have never heard anything so beautiful before." I took his face in my hands and kissed him softly. I pulled away and he pouted at me.

"Play me something else?" I asked. He smiled before nodding and turning back to the piano.

He played song after song for me, each one beautiful. Esme and Carlisle drifted into the room at some point and sat together on one of the sofas, listening to Edward play. Emmett and Jasper soon joined them, sitting on the floor in front of them.

Edward finished a song and pulled his hands from the keys. Everyone started clapping and it seemed to startle Edward, who jumped slightly before looking out into the room.

"When did you guys get here?" He asked, puzzled, and everyone laughed.

I looked at my watch and realized that it was almost four-thirty.

"Edward, I have to be home at five." I said softly.

He nodded and got up reluctantly, holding out his hand to help me up.

"So, did you enjoy it?" He asked hesitantly.

"Oh yes!" I said. "That was beautiful, amazing. You are so talented. You will have to play again for me."

He smiled at me and nodded. We went out to his car and he drove me home. He got out and walked me to my door. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and kissed me softly.

"I'll see you in the morning." He said. I nodded and he turned and went back to his car.

I went inside and Renee was starting on dinner preparations. I set the table and folded the napkins. I gave Charlie the swan this time and folded a bunny for Jessica since I knew she liked them. I made a crown for Lauren and a fan for Mom. I decided to fold a rose for myself.

Mom called everyone in for dinner. Pot roast this time. I was relieved since this was one of the dishes she did well. Everyone came to the table and started eating. Charlie told us about a case that he was working on. Someone had broken into Newton's Outfitters and rearranged everything on the shelves. It was a weird case of vandalism and Charlie was looking into it. Jessica told us about a test she had passed in History and Lauren was trying out for the cheerleading squad. I told them that we were studying Romeo and Juliet in English next week and would have to read passages out loud. Renee worked at the library in town and told us about a new shipment of books that were coming in. All in all it was a peaceful and relaxing dinner.

Afterwards it was the girls turn to do dishes so I went upstairs to finish off my homework and then read for a while.

I sat thinking about everything that had happened in the last week. My life had been turned for a loop. First date, first kiss, first boyfriend. Amazing. It seemed like my life was on fast forward right now and I liked it. I couldn't help wondering what tomorrow would bring. I fell asleep dreaming about Edward.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: An apology to all my faithful readers. I had a hard time getting into the right mindset for this story. A few things happened in real life after I posted last and I misplaced my writing mojo for a time. I hope I have gotten it back completely now but I will leave that for you to judge. I hope this chapter doesn't jump the shark. **

**Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me up to this point. Updates will not be so few and far between after this.**

**Enjoy!**

Bella's POV

I woke up the next morning eager and a little nervous. Today was my first day at school as Edward's girlfriend. I figured from the way that he had been acting that everyone already assumed that we were together anyway but it was _officially_ official now. I was so happy to be with him but I hated attention at the same time. I let my mind wander as I showered, thinking about his glittering emerald eyes and that amazing hair and the way he made me laugh and I decided. He was worth putting up with any snide remarks from Lauren and Jessica. Worth being stared at or whispered about. Because really, let's face it: when you have a super hot, smart, talented, funny and sweet boyfriend like _Edward Cullen_ you can deal with anything.

I got out of the shower feeling much better, eager to see him again even though it had been less than twenty four hours since I saw him last. I think I was becoming obsessed. Not like _Fatal Attraction_ obsessed; I like bunnies. But obsessed like _I cannot stop thinking about this boy and how amazing I feel when I am around him and I wonder what he is doing now_ kind of obsessed.

I finished getting dressed quickly and headed downstairs. One thing about Edward he was _almost_ kind of making me into more of a morning person. Total transformation would be impossible but at least I was not rushing around late getting ready for school.

The doorbell rang and I grabbed my bag and went to answer it. I opened the door and saw his beautiful green eyes looking down at me.

"Hey." I said softly as I closed the door behind me and stepped out onto the porch. Edward immediately pulled me into a hug and buried his face in my hair.

"Hey." He said. He pulled back and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "I love whatever shampoo it is that you use. You always smell so good." He said grinning at me.

He bent and brushed a soft kiss on my lips before turning and holding out his hand to me.

"Thank you." I said in response. We walked to the car and he held open the door for me before getting in on his side. We started on the way to school and I reached over and took his free hand as he drove. He pulled it to his lips before smiling at me.

"You know that Emmett and Jasper asked out Rose and Alice right?" I asked.

"Yeah." He replied. "They told me last night. I don't think any of us would have imagined that within a week of moving here that we would all have girlfriends. That is pretty crazy shit."

"True. It's you guys' fault for being so handsome." I said, smiling.

"Nope. Not pinning this one on us. It is all yours and Alice's and Rose's faults for being so perfect for us. We didn't stand a chance. Pretty much from day one we were goners." He laughed.

"Is that your way of saying "You had me at hello"?" I asked grinning.

He burst out laughing. "Babe you had me when Lauren told you to "fuck off" that night." He said.

I looked over at him quizzically. "What? What do you mean?"

"I was surprised by your reaction. You just shrugged it off and I thought that was so strange. It made me notice you. I wanted to talk to you right then. Then I kind of…uh…eavesdropped a little when you were talking to the waitress and I was intrigued. When Em and Jazz went to shoot pool I decided that I _had_ to talk to you, get to know you and see if you were as interesting as I thought. You were even more than that. You're beautiful and funny and smart and you keep me guessing. So you had me from that first night."

I stared at him. I was shocked by his admission but very happy. "Same here you know." He shot me a glance then smiled.

"I was so surprised that you were standing there at my table talking to me. Then we started talking and I realized that you were more than just a pretty face." He laughed. You are smart and funny and you stood up for me against Lauren and Jessica and then I was the one who was a goner." I laughed.

He took a deep breath. "Do you think…I mean…maybe this is happening…I don't know…too fast or something? I mean, it's been less than a week and we are boyfriend/girlfriend already. I'm not complaining." He reassured quickly. "It's just so sudden I guess." He paused a brief second. "Do you know what I mean or am I being an ass?"

I laughed softly. "I know what you mean. It does seem really fast but it also seems…right…if you know what I'm saying. I don't see why it has to be difficult for us. I mean, if you waited three weeks to ask me to be your girlfriend would you feel any differently than you do now?"

"No, I don't think I would. If anything I would probably feel more." He said smiling.

"Alright then. So we skipped ahead a little but I don't feel like I am missing anything. You like me; I like you; we are together now. Easy. No hemming and hawing for weeks. No "does he or doesn't he" or "does she or doesn't she" anxiety. Just us together. Like it feels like it should be." I said.

He pulled into a space in the school parking lot. I hadn't even noticed that we had made it to school already. He unclasped his seatbelt and turned to me, taking my face in his hands.

"It does feel right." He said softly, his thumbs tracing my cheeks as his eyes roamed over my face. "It feels like I was supposed to meet you. Good Karma and Lady Luck were having a field day the night I met you." He grinned and kissed me. I undid my seatbelt and turned into his kiss, sliding my fingers into his soft hair. His lips were so soft and moved against mine so sweetly. I copied one of his moves and gently pulled his bottom lip into my mouth. He gasped at the sensation and kissed me harder. A hand slipped from my face and into my hair, anchoring me in his embrace.

I was startled by a sharp tap on my window. I pulled back and looked up into the smirking faces of Rose and Alice. I blushed to the roots of my hair and looked back at Edward. He smiled and shook his head.

"To be continued." He said.

* * *

Edward and I walked to class hand in hand. Our classmates gave us a few looks but not as many as we'd had on his first day. A few people actually smiled at me which surprised me. Most of the time people barely looked at me; much less took the time to smile. Weird. I wondered idly if it had something to do with the confrontation with my steps in the lunchroom the other day.

We went to class and the day passed normally. Until lunch.

After fourth period Jasper and I walked to the lunchroom. I walked in and looked over towards our table but Edward was not there. I assumed that he must have been held up after class and I made my way to the line. Jasper went over to the table and sat with Alice. Rose and Emmett joined them. I waved and turned back, trying to decide what I wanted to eat.

"Hey there gorgeous." I heard a familiar voice say behind me. I cringed and turned my head towards the person behind me.

James Denali was standing next to me, too close actually. He was quite tall with long blonde hair that he kept in a pony tail and ice blue eyes that were looking down on me with unmistakable and very much unwanted interest.

"What do you want James?" I asked coldly. _I_ only wanted to get away from him.

"I think that would be quite obvious." He said smirking. He took a deliberate step towards me and I stepped back, gripping my tray in front of me.

"I thought you had been expelled." I said.

He laughed softly. "Oh no. Not me. Victoria and Laurent were enough to satisfy the powers that be. I was merely suspended from school for a time. After all, I wasn't even there when the principal's car caught on fire." He said with mock innocence. I could see the gleam in his eyes and saw right through his façade. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he lit the match that had started the fire.

James was Tanya's brother and had always had an interest in me. I did not return it and it made me a challenge to him. To win the un-winnable girl. He had asked me out on several occasions and I had turned him down every time. It seemed to amuse him rather than discourage him.

Two weeks ago he and his friends, Victoria Jameson and Laurent Fields had been called to the principal's office. I had heard from Charlie that someone had broken into Mr. McDavidson's garage and set his car on fire, almost setting the entire house on fire as well. Fortunately Mr. McDavidson was a light sleeper and had heard the garage door open. He had made it downstairs in time to put the fire out before it spread farther than the garage and was able to get his wife and baby out of the house.

A neighbor had seen a car pulling away from the principal's house and recognized Victoria and Laurent and one other person in the car. They both ratted out James as well but since there was no hard evidence apparently James was only suspended instead of being expelled as well.

"Somehow I don't believe you." I said sardonically. He smiled and shrugged one shoulder indolently.

I turned back towards the line, rolling my eyes in dismissal before placing my tray on the metal runner to reach for an apple.

I was suddenly wrenched away, my body yanked back towards James. He had grabbed my right wrist and pulled me towards him, my arm held upwards at an odd and painful angle.

"You will be mine one day Bella Swan." He said intently. I immediately balled up my left fist and swung, striking him in the mouth. I felt the impact in my wrist immediately. James' head rolled back before he whipped his head around to face me. He tightened his grip on my wrist and dragged me towards him.

"You really shouldn't have done that." He said, his eyes cold.

"Get your mother-fucking hands off of her." I looked up and Edward was standing behind James, his fists clenched at his sides and his eyes sparking with fury.

James turned his head towards Edward, a sneer on his face. I noticed that his bottom lip was split and bleeding where I had hit him and felt a surge of satisfaction.

I took advantage of his diverted attention and ripped my wrist out of his grasp. I immediately moved away from him and went to stand next to Edward. He did not look at me, his eyes were still locked with James', but he put his hand on my shoulder and guided me behind him. I peeked around his arm.

"You will _never_ touch her again. Ever." Edward said with pure menace in his voice.

James smiled derisively. "You think so? And who are you to stop me from getting what I want?" He said.

"I am her boyfriend. She is my girlfriend. I will rip your arms from your body if you ever come near her again." Edward said. The pure fury in his voice was startling. I noticed that he was shaking with his anger and I placed my hand on the small of his back to try to calm him.

James narrowed his eyes and looked at me. "Boyfriend?" He asked scathingly. I wrapped my hands around Edward's bicep. His fists were still at his sides clenched tightly.

"Yes, boyfriend. Go away James. I have told you over and over again that I will not go out with you. Now you need to leave." I said acidly.

"Go James." Edward said caustically.

"What's the problem here?" I looked over and saw Emmett standing there with Jasper, Rose and Alice behind them.

James looked over to see who had spoken and he locked eyes with Emmett. I saw his eyes widen infinitesimally when he saw how big Emmett was.

James broke Emmett's stare and turned back to look at me. His eyes burned into mine as he reached up and slowly wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his hand.

"This is not over Bella." He said before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Ms. Swan? Mr. Cullen? What is going on here?" I looked away from the door James had walked through to see Coach Clapp and his assistant walking towards us.

"David, go get Mr. Denali before he gets too far." Coach told his assistant. David was a big guy, even bigger than Emmett and I didn't think he would have trouble with James.

"Everything is okay, Coach." I said, stepping from behind Edward. He immediately put his hands on my shoulders, drawing me back to him and into his chest.

"What happened?" Coach asked.

"I was standing in line when James came up. We talked for a moment then when I turned away he grabbed me and twisted my wrist." I help up my right arm to show him. I was already bruising; the entire skin around my wrist was black and blue. Edward drew in a sharp breath and stiffened behind me.

"Then I, well I kind of punched him in the mouth." I said, grimacing. I held my left wrist in my right hand, the pain registering with me for the first time. "Then Edward came up and I got out of James' hold. Then he left." I finished.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" Coach asked gently.

"I think I might have sprained my wrist when I hit him."

Edward growled behind me and I reached up and took his right hand with mine. I squeezed gently and he calmed down.

"Well go to the nurse. We will call you when we need you to talk to the principal." Coach turned on his heel and left before I could say anything else.

Edward immediately turned me and took me into his arms, our friends crowding around us.

He held me tightly for a moment, his chest heaving, before pulling back and taking my face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, his eyes roaming over my face.

I nodded in his hands and he pulled me back into his chest.

"God, I want to kill him for touching you Bella. I think I would have, if he hadn't walked away." I could feel him shaking and I pressed myself into his embrace, trying to comfort him with my body. His tremors lessened and I pulled back slightly to look into his face. His eyes were clenched shut and his lips were pressed together. I pulled one hand from behind his back and laid it on his cheek. His eyes opened instantly at the contact.

"Edward, I'm okay. Really. Please, try to calm down." I felt his body relax minutely. "Hey," I said smiling, "At least I got to use my skills. Spraining my wrist was worth bloodying his lip." Edward gave me a small smile. He pulled away from me and took my left wrist gently in his hand. I winced a little at the pain. Edward saw and his expression was worried.

"Come on, let's get you to the nurse's office. Though I still want Carlisle to look at this later." He wrapped his right arm around my waist and cradled my left wrist in his other hand as we walked towards the nurse's office. The rest of the gang walked with us. It was then that I noticed that the rest of the cafeteria was watching and openly whispering about us, some even pointing. For someone who hated to be the center of attention I sure had a knack for being in the spotlight.

The nurse confirmed that I had indeed sprained my wrist and wrapped it in a bandage. We were all in the small room, me on the table with Edward sitting next to me. The nurse simply shook her head and smiled, telling us she would let us know when we needed to go to the office before closing the door.

"Wow Bella, it was so awesome when you hit him like that. I think I need to come over on Saturdays to practice with you and Renee." Alice said. Jasper looked down at her with a worried expression before nodding his head in agreement.

"That would not be a bad idea, Alice. I would feel a lot better knowing you can defend yourself, though I think I should show you both how to punch so you don't hurt yourself in the process." Jasper said solemnly.

I could feel Edward nodding next to me. "I can help you with that Jazz. Do you think your mom would mind Bella?"

"Of course not." I replied. "I'm sure both she and Charlie will be happy to have you help us."

The nurse poked her head in then and told us that we needed to go to the principal's office. We made our way there and I was surprised to see not only Charlie and my mom but Esme and Carlisle there as well.

"Bella!" My mom cried as soon as she saw me. She rushed over and took me in a big hug. "Oh baby, are you alright? They called and told me that you were in a fight and that you got hurt. What happened? Where are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Mom, calm down. I sprained my left wrist and my other one is bruised but I am fine. I promise." I said.

She took my cheeks in her hands and scanned my face. Satisfied, she nodded and hugged me again.

Charlie stepped up and placed one hand on Renee's shoulder and the other on mine.

"Good to see that you are okay Bells. What happened?"

"Well, James Denali grabbed me and I punched him in the mouth." I said.

Charlie stiffened at James' name and cursed under his breath.

"Why did he grab you?" He said and I could tell he was in cop mode.

"James can't take no for an answer apparently. I keep telling him that I am not interested and he keeps coming back. He didn't like it when I turned away from him today and grabbed my wrist." I held it up to show him and both sets of parents gasped. "Then I guess instinct took over and I punched him. Then Edward came up and told him to let me go and I was able to get out of James' hold."

Charlie turned and put his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Thanks, son. I'm glad you were there to help her." Edward just nodded. I could tell he was still very upset about the whole incident.

Esme stepped forward then and took me in a hug, surprising Renee and Charlie.

"Oh Bella dear. I am so glad you are okay. Jasper called us to tell us what happened. We were both so worried about you." She turned to Edward and hugged him too. "Are you alright?" She asked softly. Edward wrapped his arms around her and nodded into her hair.

"I'm fine Mom. Bella is the one who was hurt." He said.

Esme pulled back and gave him a look. I could tell she understood how upset he was by everything. He nodded at her, acknowledging her worry and she stepped back.

Esme turned to Renee and Charlie.

"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Esme Cullen and this is my husband, Carlisle."

"I'm Renee and this is my husband Charlie. I am so glad to meet you." Renee said.

The parents were getting acquainted when the principal opened his door and called to us.

"Chief Swan and Mrs. Swan, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, Bella, Edward? Please come into my office."

We all crowded into the principal's rather small office. I stiffened when I saw James and his father there though I should have known to expect them. James' mouth was swollen and beginning to bruise. Coach Clapp and David were there as well.

"Now," Mr. McDavidson began, "James had told me his version of events and I would like to hear yours Bella."

I took a deep breath before speaking. "I was in the lunch line and James approached me. We spoke for a moment and when I turned away he grabbed me, twisting my arm painfully and bruising my wrist. I punched him in the mouth. Edward came up and told James to get his hands off of me and I was able to pull free when he was distracted. I went and stood by Edward and he moved in front of me. He and James exchanged words and Edward and I told James to leave, which he did. Then Coach came up."

The principal looked thoughtful for a moment before turning his attention to James.

"James, you need to understand that you cannot put your hands on people. I think a three day suspension will be sufficient to drive the lesson home."

"Three days?" Mr. Denali cried. "What about her?" He pointed at me. "What is going to happen to her for punching my boy?"

I could feel and hear everyone in the room gasp. Charlie spoke up first.

"You listen to me Steve," He said, addressing James' father. "You are damn lucky that all he is going to get is three days suspension and not assault charges for touching Bella. She reacted in self defense. It is only out of respect for Bella's feelings that I am not taking James to jail. You had better make sure that he never comes near my daughter again." I had never seen Charlie so angry and I felt my heart swell when he called me his daughter. Renee smiled up at him proudly and wrapped her arm around his waist.

Mr. Denali visibly deflated at the mention of jail. I knew then that he must have pulled some strings to keep James from being expelled before. He nodded before turning towards the principal.

"Are we done here?" Mr. McDavidson nodded and Mr. Denali grabbed James by the arm and they left the office.

"Bella," Mr. McDavidson said, "I am very sorry that you were injured. Please contact me or any of my staff if James bothers you again. Perhaps it might be a good idea to have a friend with you when you walk to your classes, at least until everything dies back down. Though, it is obvious that you can take care of yourself if James' lip was any indication." He smiled softly at me.

I nodded. "I understand. I really don't think that my friends will let me go anywhere by myself ever again anyway." I smiled, looking up at Edward. He reached over and pulled me to his side.

"We will make sure that she is taken care of sir." Edward said. The principal nodded.

"The two of you may take the rest of the day off. I will let your teachers know."

We nodded and left the office. Once outside Carlisle gently took my left wrist in his hand.

"May I?" He asked and I nodded. He unwrapped the bandage and examined my wrist, carefully turning and manipulating the joint before wrapping it back up. He took my right wrist up and gave it the same inspection.

"Well it doesn't look too bad. You should take it easy with both hands for today at least. Ice might help and you should take some Tylenol for the pain too."

"Thank you Carlisle." I said, smiling up at him.

He touched my cheek briefly and smiled. "No problem."

Charlie and Renee watched the exchange in smiling bemusement. Esme turned to them.

"How about if everyone comes over to our house for dinner tonight? Since our two kids are together it seems only natural for us to get to know each other better, don't you think?" She turned and took in everyone in the room. "Alice and Rose, I would be delighted if you would come over too. I am very interested in getting to know the both of you better as well." Everyone in the room agreed and we made our way out of the office and into the parking lot.

Esme turned to Renee and Charlie. "I know that both of you have to go back to work and I planned on working from home for the rest of the day. Why don't Bella and Edward come back to our house? Then you won't have to worry about Bella being home alone for the rest of the day?" Charlie and Renee exchanged a glance. Charlie nodded and Renee turned back to Esme.

"That sounds great. I didn't like the idea of her being by herself. Thank you."

Esme smiled. "My pleasure. How does seven tonight sound for dinner?"

Everyone agreed and we all went our separate ways. Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett went to their classes, Charlie and Renee went back to work and Carlisle returned to the hospital.

"I'll see you two at the house." Esme said before getting into her car and driving away.

Edward led me to the Volvo and held the door for me to get in. He moved around to the other side and got in, pulling out of the parking lot. We drove in silence for a moment until Edward reached over to take my hand. A pain shot through my wrist and I hissed involuntarily.

"Shit Bella! I am so sorry! Are you alright?" Edward said, instantly contrite.

I nodded. "I'm fine." I really was.

Before I realized what was happening Edward had pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. I unfastened my seatbelt and got out of the car too. Edward was pacing back and forth on the shoulder of the road, his hands fisted by his sides and his posture rigid. I stepped in front of him and stopped his angry pacing, placing my hands on his chest.

"Edward." I said. He did not acknowledge me, turning his head to the side and breathing hard, his eyes clenched shut. "Edward." I said again.

Nothing.

"Dammit Edward! Look at me!" I said.

He turned his head towards me slowly before locking eyes with me. His face was hard, angry as he looked into my eyes, but his gaze was somewhere else, somewhere inside himself. Then he seemed to crumble before me, dropping to his knees and burying his head in his hands. I knelt down in front of him, gently prying his hands from his face.

"Edward, please! Talk to me." I pled. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.

He brought his head up to look at me and his face became agonized at the sight of my tears. He reached out and pulled me into his chest and I could feel him shaking like he had before.

"God Bella. Jesus Christ. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Please. Don't cry. Please oh please baby, don't cry." He held me to him, his hands running soft circles on my back.

I sniffed. "Just tell me what is wrong, _please_ Edward. I can't stand to see you so upset."

"I'm sorry." He said. "I'm just so _furious_ at James for what he did to you and so angry at myself for hurting you too. I just want to go find him and beat the living shit out of him for daring to put his hands on you. It took everything in me not to jump him in the cafeteria. The only reason I didn't is because you were there and I didn't want you to get hurt accidentally. When I remember walking in and seeing him with his hands on you…I just…I want to…" He stopped and buried his head in the crook of my neck, taking deep shuddering breaths.

"Shhhh." I crooned. "Baby, it's okay. Really. I know your upset by what happened but I'm okay." I said softly, running my fingers through his hair and down his back over and over. "Please, don't be upset. It's over now. We are here, together." He pulled back and I smiled softly at him before taking his face in my hands and pressing soft comforting kisses all over his face. He raised his hands up and plunged them into my hair. He held my head still and looked into my eyes before bending and pressing his lips to mine. I could feel the desperation in his kiss. He needed this, I realized. He needed the positive reinforcement that I was okay. I returned his kiss with equal ardor, telling him without words that I was alright, that I was here with him.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. He took several deep breaths before taking my hands very carefully in his own. He pressed soft kisses to each wrist before looking up into my eyes.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you before." He said very softly.

I placed each hand on either side of his face. "I'm fine, really. Don't even think about it anymore." He nodded and stood up, offering me his hand. I reached up and he took me by the elbow, drawing me to my feet. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

"I promise you Bella, he will never hurt you again. I promise you." His voice was adamant.

"I know. I know you will protect me if I need it. Now, come on. We need to get to your house before Esme sends out a search party."

He kissed the top of my head and let me go. He helped me into the car and we started back on our way to his house.

* * *

Edward's POV

I snuck glances at her all the way back to my house. She seemed so calm on the outside and I wondered what she was thinking. I was far from calm. I meant it when I said I wanted to go after James. I'd heard the expression "makes my blood boil" but never had really understood what it meant. But walking into that cafeteria, so eager to see Bella again, only to see her being manhandled by that asshole I had felt like my entire body was on fire. Rage had poured through me and every vein and artery in my body felt like lava was rolling through them.

Seeing her punch him had brought me back to the present and I was able to control the fury that was coursing within me, but only barely. Bella. She was my single thought in that moment. Bella. Safe. Those words enabled me to approach and get her away from him without killing him.

The whole time we were in the nurse's office and then in the principal's office I was barely hanging on by a thread. I felt so many things in those moments. Fury at James, anger at my teacher for keeping us after class and keeping me from Bella's side, worry for Bella and her injuries, pride that she had been able to defend herself against him even just a little. Then when I took her hand in the car and it had hurt her everything came bubbling to the surface. I had to stop the car, to get out. Release some of those pent up emotions. They overtook me and I was being sucked into them. And just when I thought I was drowning, Bella was there.

Her tears brought me back to earth. I knew in that moment that the only thing in this world that could ever really hurt me was the sight of that girl's tears. I kissed her, needing her in my arms, reminding me that she was okay, that she was with me, that everything was alright now. She understood. She knew what I needed and gave it to me.

This girl was a gift to me. A gift I probably did not deserve but one that I would hold onto and cherish. She was a light brighter than any in my world and I knew then that I would always be drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. It was such a cliché but it was true. She had become my world in that moment in the cafeteria and I knew I would fight for her with everything in me. She was my oxygen, my heartbeat. She was my life now.

* * *

We arrived at my house a short time later and I carefully took Bella's hand and led her into the house. Esme came out of her office when she heard the front door open and close.

"Would you two like something to eat or drink?" She asked. I was not hungry and Bella shook her head.

"Would it be alright if we went up to my room? I asked.

"Of course, though door open please." Esme said smiling. I looked down at Bella and she was blushing and I had to smile. I loved that blush.

We made our way upstairs to my room and Bella immediately walked over to my bookshelves, examining my collection. I sat on the bed watching her for a moment before lying back with a sigh.

Bella heard me and came over to sit next to me, leaning over me somewhat to look me in the eye.

"Edward, I think you should go talk to your mom." She said.

"What? Why?" I asked, surprised.

"I think you need to talk to her about what happened in the cafeteria. You two are obviously close and I can tell that you are still upset. Talking to her might help you."

"I'm fine." I lied.

She laughed softly and shook her head. "You are as bad a liar as I am. Really though, your mom is really worried about you. I could see it in her eyes in the principal's office and just now too. Go. Talk to her. She can help you. Make you feel better about what happened."

I hesitated. I knew that Esme was worried about me, that she could see the raw emotions that were still boiling under the surface. Apparently Bella could too.

"Please Edward? Just go talk to her?" I could not deny her when she asked me like that. I nodded and sat up. I leaned into her, kissing her softly in thanks for her understanding.

"You'll be okay? Up here I mean?"

She smiled and nodded at me. We both stood up and she pushed me gently towards the door.

"Go. Feel better. I will be here waiting for you."

I turned and kissed her. "Best news I've heard all day." I said against her lips and felt her smile against mine.

I turned and made my way downstairs and knocked on the door to Esme's office. She told me to come in and I closed the door behind me, moving to sit on the soft leather couch near her desk.

Esme walked over to me, taking in my expression. "Edward? Are you alright? Where is Bella?"  
"Upstairs. She told me that I needed to come talk to you, that you were worried about me."

She sat down next to me and took my right hand in hers. Her other hand drew small circles on my back.

"I _am_ worried about you. I can see that you are about to come apart at the seams. What is bothering you so much? Bella getting hurt today?"

"That is part of it." I said.

"What else?"

"I'm scared." I admitted softly.

Esme looked shocked. "Scared of what dear?"

I took a deep breath.

"Well, my reaction to everything that happened scared me. I have never been as angry in my entire life as I was when I saw James with his hands on Bella. I wanted to hurt him, I mean really and truly hurt him. The rage that went through me was crazy. Then seeing Bella hurt made it ten times worse. I felt out of control. Completely. Like I could really do some damage to that guy and it wouldn't bother me in the least. I felt like the Incredible Hulk without the muscles. All anger and no control." I laughed humorlessly.

"But Edward, you were in control. You didn't beat the snot out of James for hurting Bella even though you really wanted to. It takes a lot to see people we care about being hurt and not to strike out."

"It's just not a side of me I want Bella to see, all that anger and rage. And I could have hurt her too, if I had lost control. Who wants a boyfriend who can't control his temper?"

Esme was quiet for a moment.

"Did you know that Carlisle once knocked a guy through a plate glass window for hitting on me?"

"What?!" I asked stunned. "Carlisle?" In all the years I had known him he had barely ever raised his voice to me.

She nodded. "He actually has quite a temper but a really really long fuse. Usually he tries to end things diplomatically but sometimes that doesn't always work."

"What happened?" I asked. This I had to hear.

"It was right after we got married. Emmett wasn't even conceived yet. Carlisle was working on his residency in Chicago and had a rare night free. We decided to go to a bar we knew that was just around the corner from the house. There was a man there who was trying to pick me up and when I turned him down he got…grabby…with me. He did almost the same thing to me that James did to Bella. I have never _seen_ Carlisle so angry, before or since. He confronted the man and when the man called me a bad name Carlisle decked him, knocking him through the front window of the bar."

"Wow." Was all I could say.

"I know. It was amazing."

"We you scared of him, Carlisle I mean?" This was my biggest fear, that Bella would see all the rage inside me and be afraid.

She shook her head. "No, never. Shocked and concerned yes but never scared. And I don't think Bella would be afraid of you either." She said, reading my mind.

"I don't think I could take it if she was." I said softly.

"You care about her a lot don't you?" She asked, running her hand through my hair.

I nodded. "I know it seems crazy since we haven't even known each other a week but it is like she is my whole world now. I have never felt this way and honestly I don't know how to handle it."

"Talk to her Edward. Let her know how out of control you felt. She will understand. And she won't hold it against you either. She seems like a pretty strong girl."

"She is. You should have seen her in the cafeteria, Mom. When she hit James it was just amazing. She was fierce." I said laughing softly.

"I'll just bet she was. Now go upstairs and talk to her. She is probably still shaken up by everything that happened and she will need you when it finally hits her."

Esme's words hit me hard. Jesus, I am such a selfish asshole. Here I was worried about losing control and hurting James when Bella was the one who was assaulted by him in the first place.

Esme saw my expression and realized what I was thinking. "Edward stop. You had to get _your_ mind right before you could comfort _her_. There was no way you would have been able to help her in the state you were in. Even she knew that, which is probably why she sent you down here. Now you realize that it is alright to have a temper and alright to let her see it. So go upstairs and make her realize that it is okay to be upset by what happened and how great you think she is for punching James."

I nodded and gave her a tight hug. She always knew what to say to make me feel better. I walked purposefully out of the room, feeling a lot calmer. I quickly made my way upstairs. I had a girlfriend to comfort.

I found Bella in my bedroom where I left her but the sight of her took my breath away. She was curled up on her side facing the door, hands tucked up under her cheek. Her breathing was slow and even and she looked incredibly beautiful. I realized that I could watch her sleep forever, seeing her so completely serene and peaceful and it would never be boring. She captivated me even when she was unconscious. How weird is that?

I walked over to the bed and lay down next to her, facing her and mirroring her posture. Unable to help myself I reached out and ran my fingers down her cheek, feeling how soft it was. Her eyelids fluttered and she opened them, gasping softly to see me so close before giving me a big smile.

"Sorry, I just laid down for a minute." She said sheepishly.

I grinned at her. "Don't worry, you look good in my bed." I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

She laughed, even though she blushed bright red, and then sat up. I sat up too and moved so that we were facing each other with our hips touching.

Bella reached up and ran her fingers through my hair and I closed my eyes and leaned into her hand.

"How are you?" She asked. "Do you feel better?"

I opened my eyes and looked into her concerned ones. I pulled her hand from my hair and laid it on my cheek.

"I do now. I just had to sort some things out in my mind. I'm sorry if I worried you."

She shook her head. "That's my job you know." She smiled. "To worry about you and want you to be okay. So, tell me what was wrong before."

I took a deep breath and blew it out. "I was just so angry Bella. I felt completely out of control and I was afraid that I could hurt you on accident. I would hate myself forever it that ever happened. And I was worried that you would see how angry I was and be afraid of it. I never want you to be afraid of me." I hung my head. Bella reached up and took my face in her hands, bringing my eyes up to hers.

"You listen to me okay? I am not now, nor was I ever once afraid of you. I knew you were angry but the only thing I could think of was calming you and making you feel better. I knew then and I know now that you would never hurt me, ever. No more than I could ever hurt you, okay?" I nodded into her hands.

"Besides," She continued, "Were you afraid of _me_ in the cafeteria? Because I am quite sure I wanted to beat the shit out of James as much as you did."

I looked at her shocked. She saw my expression and nodded, pulling her hands from my face and smiling ruefully.

"Yep, I wanted to hurt him too. I know I bloodied his lip but I wanted to do a lot more than that, I'm just not strong enough. But don't think that you were the only one in that room fighting down their anger."

I smiled at her and she smiled back. "You were amazing you know. Fierce. That's what I told Esme. I'm proud of you, baby." I leaned forward and kissed her softly. I pulled back after a minute to take her face in my hands.

"How are you doing now? After it is all over I mean? I know you must be shaken up inside, even if you are better at hiding it than me."  
She frowned at me before nodding. "I have never…well…no one has ever done that to me, you know, grabbing me in anger? My first reaction was anger, you saw that, but if you had seen the look in his eye…" she shuddered. "I _was_ scared. I mean…he is so much bigger than me and could really have hurt me if you hadn't shown up." Tears filled her eyes and I pulled her over onto my lap and rocked her for a moment.

"Of course you were scared, anyone would be. But I promised you that I would protect you and I mean it. And I know that you could….how did Esme put it? Beat the snot out of him if you had to." She giggled in my arms and I reached up with my thumb to wipe her tears away.

"Sorry." She said, sniffing.

"Don't be." I said. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket-more of the manners Esme drilled into me-and handed it to her to wipe her face.

She looked down at the cloth in her hands.

"You carry a handkerchief? A for real handkerchief?" She giggled.

I shrugged, still holding her in my lap. "Esme." I said by way of explanation.

"Hmmm, but does Esme embroider your initials in them?" I felt my cheeks burn a little as she laughed at me.

I reached down and tickled her and she squirmed off my lap, landing on her back and laughing gaily as I continued to tickle her

"Okay stop stop! Please!" She cried laughing. I stopped tickling and leaned over her until our noses almost touched.

"Finished teasing me about my handkerchief yet?" I asked in mock seriousness.

She looked up at me impishly and I poised my hands to tickle her again. She immediately capitulated.

"Yes! Yes! I'm finished teasing you about your personalized handkerchiefs." She said giggling.

I bent down and kissed her smiling lips.

"Do you think I am less manly because I have my initials on a handkerchief?" I said smiling.

Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down for another kiss. Just before our lips touched she whispered up to me.

"You are more than enough man for me Edward Cullen."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I am going to turn around and assume the position so all of you can kick my ass. I know that this update is about a million years in the making and for that I am sorry. I have a list of excuses as long as my arm but I know that you don't really want to hear them anyway so I will just apologize.**

**On a happy note, I just found out that this story has been nominated for an Indie TwiFiction Award under the category "AH Story that knocks you off your feet" WIP category. I am totally knocked off _my_ feet. Thank you so much to whoever nominated me. Please send me an IM so I can thank you properly. And to everyone who still reads this story (despite my horrendous updating) THANKS SO MUCH.**

**To see the total list of nominated stories here is the link to the Indie website www(dot)theindietwificawards(dot)com.**

**So here we go....**

Bella's POV

We lay together in Edward's bed for the next few hours, talking and laughing. And kissing. Just soft tender kisses that made me warm and tingly and that also felt so safe and comforting.

We learned a lot about each other in those few hours. Our likes and dislikes, our favorite books, music, hobbies. We had a lot more in common than I thought. Even down to our favorite ice cream: pistachio. Edward half reclined against his pillows and I lay with my head resting on his chest. I listened happily to the sound of his heartbeat as he tangled and untangled our clasped fingers.

We did not know that Emmett and Jasper had arrived home until we heard a soft giggle at the doorway. I looked up and saw Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett standing there. Alice came bounding over and curled herself up behind me wrapping an arm around my waist below where Edward's already laid. She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed. Rose walked over and lay down behind Alice, wrapping her arm over Alice's and intertwining her fingers with Alice's tiny ones. I felt their love and support as we all lay together.

"Hey!" I heard Emmett's booming voice cry. I looked up to see his and Jasper's mouths agape. "How come Eddie gets to have all the hot girls in his bed?" He said petulantly.

I felt Edward's chest shake as he chuckled and I looked up to see the smirk on his face.

"'Cause I am just awesome like that." He said laughing.

Emmett "harrumphed" and walked over to the side of the bed that Rose lay on. He climbed up on the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist. He had to push a little since he was so big and that side of the bed was pretty crowded.

"Hey! You're squishing me!" I heard Alice's voice muffled against my back. I was being pressed deeper into Edward's side and chest, though I really didn't mind that much. Alice pulled her arm from around me and managed to crawl over both myself and Edward to lie on his other side. She sighed in relief as she lay down next to him. She put one hand beneath her head and the other one pried my fingers loose from Edward's and she pulled my hand over towards her, across Edward's torso to rest on the bed between her and Edward. Jasper, who had been watching the whole exchange from the doorway with a grin on his face, came over and lay down behind Alice, wrapping his arm around her and covering both our mine and Alice's intertwined hands with his large one.

We all lay there in contented silence for a while before Emmett spoke. His voice was somewhat muffled behind Rose.

"So Slugger, how are you feeling?" He asked me.

I laughed softly. "Much better now Emmett, thanks."

"Well you did a pretty good number on James. His lip was all purple and split open when I saw him come out of the office with his father."

"He deserved it." I heard Jasper say, his voice angry. I looked over at him and his expression was hard. He caught my look.

"No man should ever put his hands on a woman. Ever." He said softly but emphatically.

I nodded solemnly and he slowly relaxed into Alice again.

"He won't get the chance." Edward said. "The principal wants us to walk Bella to her classes for a while, until everything dies down he said."

"I'm in." Emmett said. I felt Rose's arm tighten around me and I knew she was lending her support as well.

"Me too!" Alice chirped. I looked behind her and Jasper's face was drawn into a frown. I knew he was worried about Alice's welfare as much as my own.

"Alice, you are so tiny. What do you think you can do against James?" I said laughing.

Alice did not laugh with me like I'd hoped.

"I may be low to the ground Bella but that just gives me better aim when I nail him in the balls." She said threateningly. All three guys on the bed stiffened and groaned in unison when she said it. We three girls laughed.

"You gotta admit she's right." Rose said laughing. "Besides that is one surefire way to incapacitate a guy." She said smugly.

"And if you knew exactly how much it hurt you would never to it to another guy." Edward said, wincing at the thought.

"Well since I don't I am going to use whatever means I have at my disposal to protect myself." Rose said.

"Speaking of protecting ourselves, what time should I be at your house on Saturday for training Bella?" Alice asked.

"We usually start at eleven and train for about an hour." I said.

"I am going to be there too." Jasper said.

"Me too." Emmett said.

I could feel Rose turn her head towards Emmett behind me.

"You? Why on earth would you need to be there?" She asked incredulously.

"To watch Alice and Bella kick their asses of course." He replied.

I felt Rose laugh.

"Hmmm that does sound interesting. I may have to come over to see that myself." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"You don't want to train?" Jasper asked.

"Rose doesn't need to train, Jasper. Just ask her about Jimmy Bell's wrist." I said chuckling. I felt Rose chuckle softly behind me.

"That's right!" Alice piped up. "He had to turn in all his assignments typed up because he could not write with that hand for six weeks."

"What did you do Rosie?" Emmett asked.

"I just made sure that he understood that you should never touch a woman without her permission. A broken wrist made my point pretty clear. He apologized later and we ended up pretty decent friends." I felt her shrug against me.

"I'm glad you didn't have that reaction with me." Emmett said chuckling.

"I would have loved to have seen it though." Edward said.

Everyone laughed before settling into a peaceful silence. No one spoke for a while. I looked over at Alice and Jasper and noticed that they had both fallen asleep. Rose and Emmett were whispering quietly behind me and when I looked up at Edward his eyes were closed and his mouth was parted a little and he had a soft smile on his face. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. I rested my head against his chest and let my eyes close, his steady heartbeat lulling me to sleep.

I was awakened by a bright flash of light behind my eyelids. I opened them to see Carlisle and Esme standing in the doorway of Edward's room. Esme held a camera in her hand and both had big smiles on their faces. I smiled back, imagining what we would look like to them; six teenagers crammed together on Edward's bed cuddled up together and sleeping. They shook their heads and left.

I looked up at Edward and he was still sleeping, as were Alice and Jasper. I could hear a soft rumbling snore behind me that could only be Emmett and Rose's chest rose and fell with deep even breaths against my back.

I reached up and ran my fingers down Edward's face. He nuzzled into my hand for a moment before his eyes fluttered open. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Hey." He said softly.

"Hey." I said smiling back at him.

I reached over and gently nudged Alice and Jasper. Jasper was the first one to open his eyes. He looked at me and smiled then gently shook Alice until she woke up. Being Alice she was almost instantly awake.

"Gosh! Did we all fall asleep?" She asked, sitting up right. Jasper sat up too and curled an arm around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Seems that way." I replied. I looked up at Edward. "Your mom and dad just took a picture of all of us in your bed you know."

His chest shook as he laughed. "Sounds like something they would do. I think they are happy that we seem to be settling in so easily here."

"I am too." I said smiling. A loud snore from Emmett interrupted me when I was about to speak again and our laughter woke Rose up. She looked over at us and then craned her head to look behind her at Emmett, rolling her eyes at the sounds of his snores. She nudged him with her elbow and he woke up, looking around disoriented.

"What's up?" He asked sleepily and we all laughed.

"Nothing Em." Edward said. "Come on you guys, Mom and Dad are going to send out a search party for us if we don't get downstairs and help with dinner."

We all got up and trudged downstairs. Esme and Carlisle were in the kitchen and there was a wonderful smell wafting through the air.

"Esme, can I live here?" I asked eagerly. "I won't be any trouble, I promise. If it means that I can eat your cooking every night I'll even sleep in the garage."

Everyone laughed.

"Thank you dear but I think at some point your parents would realize that you are gone." Esme said smiling.

"Nah, I'll just tell them that I am running of to join the circus or something. Then they would never think to look for me here." I winked at her and she burst out laughing.

We all chipped in setting the table or helping to put the finishing touches on dinner before my mom and dad showed up. I was not sure if the girls were going to come or not. My question was answered when I heard the crunch of gravel outside that signaled the arrival of my parents.

Edward and I went out on the porch to greet them. Mom and Charlie got out with awed expressions on their face. The girls were not with them.

"Jessica and Lauren didn't come with you?" I asked Renee.

Renee shook her head sadly. "We asked them but they didn't want to. They made other plans." She looked apologetically at Edward.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan." Edward greeted my parents with a nod of his head.

"Please Edward, call us Charlie and Renee." Renee said. "I won't tell you again young man." She admonished him with a smile.

Edward grinned back at her. "Yes ma'am Renee." He said.

Edward led us into the house and into the living room where everyone had gathered. He introduced Emmett and Jasper to my parents.

We all sat talking as mine and Edward's parents started to get to know each other. Renee and Esme found that they shared a love of design and I found out that Esme had actually designed the entire house. Charlie looked a little uncomfortable in such grand surroundings until he discovered that he and Carlisle had the same addiction to baseball. Then they were talking like old friends. Soon Esme suggested that we all go into the dining room to eat.

* * *

Edward's POV

Dinner was an interesting experience. Everyone one held different conversations and the dining room was filled with noise. Bella's parents got along with Carlisle and Esme very well. Esme, ever the gracious hostess made sure that everyone was involved in the conversation at some point. I could tell that she was working to get to know Alice and Rosalie as well. She seemed to like them and I was glad. I had the feeling that the six of us would be spending a lot of time together and I was glad that my parents approved of our choices.

After dinner the adults went into the living room to talk while we stayed in the kitchen to clean up. With six of us it didn't take that long.

"So do you think that they like us?" Alice asked Jasper. She looked a little worried.

Jasper put his arms around her waist and bent to kiss her forehead.

"Of course they did." He said.

"He's right Alice." I said. "They like both you and Rosalie. I can tell."

Alice relaxed into Jasper's arms. I was surprised. Alice seemed so confident in herself but I guess anyone would be anxious to know if their boyfriends "parents" approved of them.

We all went into the living room and found the adults in deep conversation. I caught Carlisle's eye and nodded my head towards the den, letting him know that's where we would be. He nodded and returned to his conversation.

We all piled into the den and had a brief but animated debate over which movie to watch. We decided on the Bourne Identity and we all got comfortable. Bella lay down beside me on the large sectional sofa. I put a cushion in my lap and she rested her head on it as I played with her hair. Alice lay next to her facing the opposite way with her legs tangled with Bella's and her head in Jasper's lap on a cushion. Emmett sat on the floor with his back to the sofa and Rosalie sitting in between his legs.

I looked around the room as everyone watched the movie. I could not help the feeling of contentment that washed over me as I sat surrounded by all the people that I cared about. Emmett and Jasper-the brothers that I never knew I needed, Rosalie and Alice-the new "sisters" that I never knew I wanted, and Bella.

Bella. The girl I wasn't looking for but that had found and that had filled all those places that I didn't even know were empty in the first place. I couldn't believe how happy I was, how everything in my life had shifted in such a fundamental way. How my focus had changed from myself to all the other people in my life. I gave a small contented sigh as I sat there, running my fingers through Bella's long soft hair.

Bella felt my sigh and turned her head to look up at me. I don't know what my expression told her but she smiled softly at me, eyes sparkling and happy. I pressed my fingers to my lips and then to hers and felt her leave a kiss on my fingertips. I brought them back and pressed them back to my own lips, taking her kiss and she turned back to the movie with a smile on her face.

The credits had just begun to roll when Carlisle stuck his head into the den. Both Alice and Bella were asleep.

"Edward, the Swans are about to leave. Are you going to take Bella home or is she going to ride with them?" He asked.

"I don't know, let me ask Bella." He nodded and left. I shook Bella gently and her eyelids fluttered open. She sat up, yawning against the back of her hand.

"Wow, I must have really been tired. What time is it?" She asked sleepily.

"About nine. Carlisle wanted to know if you are riding with your parents or if I am driving you home." I told her.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I had better ride with them. They will want to know how I am after today."

"How are you? Really?" I asked. I hoped that we could put this behind us and move on.

"Good I think. I mean, alls well that ends well right? I'm not going to be scarred for life or anything. It was just an unpleasant moment but there was some good that came out of it." She said.

"What good is that?" I asked.

"Well our parents got to meet and are getting along great and Alice is going to practice with us so that she can defend herself too. I would say that both of those were good things, right?"

"True. Okay, well let's get you to your parents." I said. I stood up and offered her my hand. She pulled herself up off the couch and we started for the door.

"Wait!" She said, tugging me to a stop.

I turned back, puzzled. "What?"

Bella blushed a beautiful pink. "Well, I just wanted a goodnight kiss, one that is not in front of my parents." She said.

"Ahh. Well I think I can handle that." I said smiling. I bent and brushed my lips against hers, caressing her cheek with my thumb before pulling back.

"All better now?" I teased.

She nodded and giggled, pushing me towards the door.

The Swans were in the foyer, talking with Carlisle and Esme when we joined them.

"Ready to go Bella?" Charlie asked.

"Yep." She turned to my parents. "Thanks for everything, Carlisle and Esme."

Esme reached out and hugged Bella, petting her hair.

"Of course my dear." She said softly. "Come back anytime. We love having you."

Bella was smiling as she stepped towards the door.

"See you in the morning Edward." She said softly.

"See you tomorrow." I echoed.

"Goodnight Edward." Charlie said. "Thanks again for today."

I nodded in acknowledgment. "Good night Charlie, Renee."

They finished their goodbyes and made their way out to their car. I stood on the porch, watching until they drove away. I turned to go inside only to see Carlisle standing behind me.

"Oh! Hey Dad. I thought you went back inside."

"No, I wanted to talk to you in private for a moment." He said.

"Okay, sure. What's up?" I moved to sit on one of the chairs to the left of the front door. Carlisle sat opposite me.

"I was wondering what you think about the James and Bella situation. Do you think that he is going to be a problem later? I know that you had a hard time restraining yourself this time and I wanted to know if you think that there might be a time where you wouldn't."  
"Do you mean a time when I won't be able to or if I think that there will be another incident like this where I would not hold myself back?" I asked for clarification.

"Both, I suppose." He said.

"Well as far as him being a threat to Bella again, I would say anything is possible. His parting remark after she hit him and we all showed up to help her was "this is not over Bella". I think that he might be one to hold a grudge and I think that he might try something again. He seems the type. Vindictive." It made my blood run cold to think of James trying something else with Bella. I vowed to be very vigilant when it came to her.

"And as for me?" I paused, blowing out a large breath. "I don't know. I mean I wanted to beat the hell of him today. I don't know if I will be able to stop myself from doing it next time or if I even _want_ to stop myself." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "You know that I am not a violent guy to begin with but I am also not going to stand by and let something happen either."

"I would expect nothing less, son. Come on, let's get inside." He stood and walked back into the house. I knew then that I had his blessing to protect Bella, whatever that entailed.

The next day I picked Bella up for school as usual. She seemed normal, greeting me with a kiss and a brief hug before getting in the car. Her calm façade was just that though. I noticed that she was wringing her hands together. I reached over and put my hand over the top of hers.

"Stop that." I admonished softly. "It is not good for your wrist to twist it around like that."

Her cheeks turned pink and she looked a little sheepish before turning her head and staring out the window. I pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the road and put it in park. Bella turned to look at me with a puzzled expression.

I took her hands gently in mine and held them until she met my eyes.

"You know that I will not allow anything to happen to you, right?" I asked softly.

She nodded. "I know. I'm not really worried about me. I just hate that all of you have to make so many adjustments just because of some stupid boy. You should not have to go out of your way for me, following me around like bodyguards or something." She grimaced at the thought.

I took her face in my hands and kissed her softly. "We are doing this because you are important to us. None of us want you to be hurt again. Everyone cares about you a lot. _I_ care about you a lot."

She gasped softly and leaned forward, kissing me. "I care about you a lot too Edward. I don't want you to get hurt defending me from James and his stupid games."

I brushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear before replying.

"The only one you need to worry about is you Bella. I can take care of myself. So please, stop worrying so much. It will seem weird at first having one of us around all the time but it won't be that bad. People won't even realize what we are doing. All they will see is you walking to your classes with your friends. That is how you should think of it too."

She sighed and nodded. "I'll try. It just seems so silly. I doubt James will try anything when he gets back to school anyway."

"I don't think anyone thought he would assault you in the cafeteria either but he did Bella." I shook my head vehemently. "Until we know for certain that he is no longer a threat to you, we will be hanging around, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. Now you better get us to school before we are late." She smiled softly at me and I could not resist kissing her before putting the car in drive and easing back out onto the road.

* * *

Bella's POV

It was so silly sitting there listening to them argue about who would walk me to what class.

We were all in the parking lot, standing around Edward's car before school started. Edward (and his lead foot driving) had gotten us to school with plenty of time to spare. And they all seemed to be using that time to argue.

"Enough!" I said loudly, cutting off the squabble that Alice and Emmett were having about who got to walk me to lunch.

They all looked at me, shocked.

"Alright you guys. It is bad enough that you have to do this in the first place but arguing about it is just not worth it. This is how it will go. Edward and I will walk to my first and second period together. Alice, you will pick me up there and we will go to Art. Jasper, you and I will walk from Art to fourth period and then to lunch." I noticed Emmett opening his mouth to object and I raised my hand to forestall his argument.

"Emmett, you are the biggest so you have the biggest responsibility. You are in charge of the whole cafeteria since there are so many people in there." He grinned and crossed his arms over his massive chest with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Edward and I will walk to sixth period together and then he will walk me to Gym. All of you can pick me up there if you like." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and we split off.

Edward took my hand and we walked to our lockers. Holding his hand I could forget why I had to be escorted around and just focus on being with him. His hands were always cooler than mine and it felt good to have his long fingers curled around mine.

We got our necessary books and walked to class. I noticed even more people than the day before smiling and nodding at me. They seemed to even be going out of their way to talk to me. I started to wonder if Tanya and my evil steps had as much influence as I originally thought. Apparently all I had to do was cuss a few people out in the cafeteria and punch a guy in the face to earn a little respect. I should have done this a while ago, I thought wryly.

My first two classes passed quickly and Alice was waiting to walk with me to Art. She seemed to think that this was a grand adventure instead of a major inconvenience to everyone. I loved Alice's unbridled enthusiasm and could not contain my laughter when she assumed the "Charlie's Angel's" pose-feet spread, hands clasped together in the shape of a "gun" in front of her and a fierce expression on her face. Our classmates did not know what to make of us as she hooked her arm in mine and practically dragged me laughing hysterically to our class.

I was beginning to think that my lunch hour was cursed. It didn't used to be this way. I could sit and eat my lunch in relative peace, unnoticed as I people watched and talked with Rose and Alice. Now it seemed that the cafeteria had become ground zero for the drama in my life.

Case in point.

It all started out so simply. Jasper and I walked to lunch and through the line together. Emmett met up with us as soon as we walked in, apparently watching for our arrival. Of all of them he was taking his "guard dog" duties the most serious. He watched the entire room as we made our way through the line and to the table. Only then did he seem to sit down and relax a little.

"Emmett, what exactly were you expecting to happen?" I asked laughing. "You'd think you were guarding the President or something."

He had the grace to look sheepish.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But you never know right? Someone could try something if I wasn't looking."

"The only someone you have to worry about is James and he is suspended until Friday." I said.

He just shrugged. "Better to start as I mean to go on right?"

I had no reply to that.

I had just taken a sip of my juice when the curse of the lunchroom struck again.

Tanya suddenly appeared at our table, looking more furious than I have ever seen her, and I had seen her pretty mad. I was actually frightened for a moment.

"You little bitch! You got my brother suspended!" She shrieked. She made to lunge over the table at me and several things happened at once.

Edward leapt up and pulled me out of my chair so quickly I thought I was flying for a moment. In an instant he had me behind him and he took a protective stance in front of me. Rose had leapt up at the same time Tanya lunged and gave her a sharp shove on the shoulders that sent her reeling backwards onto the floor. She landed with an audible thud on the linoleum. Unfortunately for Tanya when Rose pushed her she had struggled vainly to grab onto something to keep herself from falling. The only thing she could get a hold of was a tray of spaghetti, which ended up flying all over her when she hit the ground.

We all stood stunned for a moment at the sight of Tanya sitting on the floor, spaghetti covering her perfect hair and designer clothes. Even she looked stunned for a moment. Then the cafeteria erupted in raucous laughter. Tanya got up and stalked from the room with what dignity she could muster, flinging spaghetti off of herself as she went.

We all watched her walk away before looking at each other and dissolving into laughter. We laughed until we were crying and collapsing in our seats.

"One thing about living here, Bella." Jasper said, wiping his eyes. "It is never boring."

The week passed quickly, everyone still walking with me to my classes. I learned to ignore the reason why they were there and just enjoy walking with my friends and with Edward.

Edward. _Sigh_. Yes, I totally just sighed in my head. But he was so sweet and thoughtful and just, _Edward_. He always made a point to kiss me when he picked me up from school and dropped me off. We talked on the phone every night after dinner for at least an hour. Renee was monitoring me to make sure that I still got my homework done. I loved days when my teachers didn't give me any because that was more time to talk with Edward on the phone.

We talked about everything and nothing. Our hopes and dreams, our embarrassing moments and favorite memories. We were getting to know each other so much better and I felt myself falling for him more everyday. He was becoming everything to me but I didn't feel like I was losing myself. He really listened when I talked and didn't just try to brush off what I was saying to steer the conversation back to himself.

Friday morning I was a little nervous. Edward seemed to be feeling some anxiety too. He seemed a little preoccupied when he kissed me hello at my door. I reached out and took his hand in the car and squeezed it tightly in reassurance. He gave me a small smile and squeezed it back.

When we arrived at school everyone was already there waiting for us. They were looking around the parking lot, looking for James' car and sending me concerned glances at the same time.

"Look guys, let's not let today get weird." I said. I was kind of apprehensive about James being back but there was nothing I could do about it. I would just have to be on my guard. "Let's just go to class like normal. If we let him make us nervous then he is the one that is winning the game right?"

The all nodded and we all made our way to our classes. I noticed that Edward walked closer to me than normal and that he was scanning the crowds of people intently.

Ultimately it all ended up being rather anticlimactic. James never showed up for school that day.

After Gym, Edward picked me up and we walked to his car. Everyone was there waiting for us, deep in conversation.

"What's up guys?" Edward asked.

Rose spoke up. "We have decided that since this week has been a royal pain in the ass we need to blow off some steam. So tonight we are going to La Push."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay another update and not a million years in between either. Thank you all so much for being so loyal to this story (and me though I have not done a lot to earn it.) **

**You of course all know by now that I do not own Twilight but I love taking some of Stephanie's best quotes and having different characters say them. I hope you have all picked up on it, though I am sure you have since you guys are all so freaking awesome. There are more ahead so keep a look out for them.**

**I am trying to stay on a more consistent update schedule with this story and I have the plot worked out. Now it is trying to get my characters to do what I want them to do.**

**P.S. I am working on an outtake and when it is ready I will let you guys know. Those that have me on alert with learn about it first *hint hint ;)***

**And a warning to the soft hearted, you might need to keep some tissues handy. That is all I am saying.**

**Ok so now without any further ado….**

* * *

Edward's POV

"What's La Push?" I asked.

"La Push is the Quileute Reservation. There is a beach there and it's a local hangout spot." Rose answered.

"Sounds good to me." Emmett said. "Let's go."

Everyone agreed and we decided to meet up at our house. Rose and Alice went to Rose's house to get some supplies. I drove Bella home while Emmett and Jasper went back to the house to get the food and drinks together.

Bella and I pulled up in the yard and Bella dragged me inside.

"Mom?" She called.

"In the kitchen sweetie."

Renee was sitting at the kitchen table, reading.

"Oh, hello again Edward. Looks like you are well on your way to becoming a fixture around here." She said smiling. I smiled back.

"Mom!" Bella said in exasperation, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Let's hope so, Renee." I said, winking at Bella. She turned even pinker and shook her head at me.

"Don't encourage her." Bella said. "You don't know how bad she can get."

Renee burst out laughing. "It's not my fault that you react so splendidly to being teased. If you didn't turn crimson every time it would not be nearly as much fun. I wonder who you got that from." She said thoughtfully.

"My dad I think. I can remember how his cheeks would turn pink any time someone would give him a compliment. Of all the things to inherit I get that trait." She laughed softly with a small smile on her face.

"So," Renee said. "What brings you both in here? Usually Edward just drops you off."

"Everyone wants to go hang out at La Push and I wanted to see if it was okay." Bella said.

"Oh, well I suppose that is alright. Charlie is working later than usual tonight. His deputy Mark's wife had her baby today and he is covering for him tonight."

"Oh how sweet!" Bella cried. "I can't wait to see the baby. Well, we won't be too late tonight. We just want to hang out for a while together."

"Alright. Well grab a jacket. It can get really cold when the sun goes down, especially by the beach." Renee said.

"Okay, but we were going to light the bonfire anyway." Bella said before going upstairs to grab her jacket.

Bonfire? I thought. The image made me uncomfortable but I didn't have a chance to respond before Bella was dragging me out of her house and to my car.

Bella kept up a steady stream of chatter all the way to my house, talking about all the interesting things to see at the beach. She told me about Charlie's best friend, Billy Black and his son Jacob. Apparently she and Jacob hung out sometimes, even though he was younger than her by two years. She sometimes went fishing with the three of them, though she did not enjoy it as much as they did.

We arrived at my house and everyone was already there. We split up between Emmett's Jeep and my Volvo and made our way down to the reservation.

First Beach, in La Push, was a strip of sand that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The air was crisp and the breeze coming off the ocean, though not that strong, made it even colder. We unloaded our coolers and blankets and the girls led us down to a large pit in the sand that was surrounded by large driftwood logs.

We all decided to go for a walk on the beach while the sun was still up, even if it was hidden behind the clouds. Bella took my hand and led me down the beach. Everyone else went in the opposite direction. We walked along the shore line, out of reach of the incoming waves. Our shoes made a squishing/crunching sound in the sand and the sounds of the waves was very calming.

"Even though it is pretty cool out, it is still beautiful." I said, looking around.

"It is." Bella said. "I love how you never see the same beach twice when you come here. The beach here now, in the fall is so stark looking and the colors are so muted. Then in the summer, even when it is not sunny, it all seems so much brighter and the ocean looks a lot bluer. It's like seeing a new beach every time."

I nodded and we continued to walk, just holding hands and enjoying each other's company. I noticed a large rock formation and was about to ask Bella about it when there was a loud wolf whistle from behind us. We both turned and there was a group of three boys heading our way. They were obviously part of the native tribe here, with identical russet colored skin and dark shiny hair. One of them called out to Bella.

"Bellsy! Hey Bells! What are you up to?" He said. He was shorter than me, about five nine and younger too, though you could see that he would be a pretty big guy once he really started growing. He was looking at Bella with a big grin on his face.

"Hey Jake! We were just out walking for a while before having a little bonfire. This is Edward Cullen, my boyfriend." She said, gesturing to me.

"Hey man." I said, holding out my hand to shake his. He looked at me skeptically for a moment before taking my hand and shaking it briefly. He turned back to Bella.

"Boyfriend huh? Charlie didn't say anything about that when he was out here last."

Bella blushed. "Well I hope you guys have more to do than to gossip about my love life. We have not been together very long. Edward only moved here about a week and a half ago."

Was that all that it had been? I felt like I had known Bella for much longer than that.

Jacob looked at me. "A week and a half? Man you really move fast don't you?" I tensed. I didn't know Jacob well enough to know if he was joking or not. I opened my mouth to speak but Bella beat me to it.

"One week is plenty of time when you find the right person Jacob." I felt my chest swell with pleasure when she spoke.

"Humph" Was all Jacob said. Bella decided to ignore him and addressed his two friends.

"Quil, Paul. Hey guys. What have you two been up to?"

The two boys shrugged and made noncommittal answers as Jacob continued to glare at me. Obviously he thought I was moving in on his turf, in more ways than one.

"Well we are going to get back. Come down and join us later if you want to." Bella waved and dragged me down the beach. I looked back to see Jacob watching us through narrowed eyes, arms folded across his chest.

"I don't think that Jacob likes me very much." I said as we walked, arms wrapped around each other's waists.

"Hah! Understatement of the year there. It's because he has this weird crush on me. He has since I moved here. I don't encourage him at all but he seems to think that me talking to him in any way is encouragement enough. It's pretty tiring sometimes, fending him off."

I stiffened. "Fending him off how? He doesn't touch you does he?" He better not if he likes breathing, I thought to myself.

Bella just shrugged. "Other than the occasional attempted hug and sometimes sitting too close to me, no." Bella sensed my tension. "Don't worry Edward. He is not for me. He is a pretty good friend but that is all there will ever be between us. I promise. I have found the one I want." She squeezed my waist reassuringly.

I pulled us to a halt and turned her towards me, placing my hands on her hips. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I bent a little so that she would not have to stand on tip-toe.

"I've found the one I want too Bella." I said, brushing my lips on hers. "Please don't think that my reaction has anything to do with not trusting you, because I do. I trust you completely. It is just hard for me to see all these guys who are lusting after you, just waiting on me to make a false move so they can swoop in." I said, resting my forehead against hers.

She gave an inelegant snort. ""All these guys"? Right Edward. Because there is just a huge long line right behind you." She shook her head.

"I can give you a list of names if you like. You might be surprised by a few of them." She scoffed. "Bella, you are a beautiful, smart, funny, sweet girl. I am just the one lucky enough to have gotten you that's all."

Bella blushed and giggled. "That's right Edward. _You_ got me. No one else. You. So the ones you say are waiting in the wings are going to be waiting for a really long time. Because just like you were lucky to get me, I was lucky to get you. So don't worry about them. I'm with you, end of story." She reached up and kissed me. The moment our lips touched I felt that electric current run through me again. I pulled her tighter against me, our tongues dancing. Finally I had to pull away, not only for oxygen but to regain a little control. Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and I could feel how fast her heart was beating. It matched tempo with mine.

We stood holding each other for a long time, until I felt Bella shiver.

"C'mon. It's getting colder out here and I don't want you to get sick. Let's get back and see if everyone else made it back there." She nodded and we turned and made our way to the pit.

Everyone was already back and had already started the fire. They had laid blankets out on the logs to keep dry and had others wrapped around themselves. They all called out to us as we approached.

"We were wondering where you two had wandered off to. What happened? Did you find a deserted part of the beach and decide to christen it?" Emmett said suggestively.

"Emmett!" Bella cried, her cheeks cherry red. Rosalie reached up and smacked Emmett on the back of the head.

"OW! What was that for?" He cried in outrage.

"For embarrassing Bella, dumbass." Rose said.

"I was just playing." Emmett grumbled.

"Actually we met up with Bella's friend Jacob and a couple of his friends. They may decide to join us later." I said.

"We should have brought more food then." Alice said. "Those Quiluete boys can eat!"

"Yeah." Rose agreed. "I once saw them eat eight hot dogs apiece. Disgusting!" She said with a delicate shiver.

"Gross." Bella said. "Well they will have to learn to share then 'cause I am _hungry_! I could eat a grizzly bear right about now!"

Emmett laughed loudly at this. "Right Bella. I can just see you taking down a grizzly all by yourself. I can just see you out in the woods, tracking one down." He laughed again.

Bella turned to face him, hands on her hips and a saucy tilt to her head. "Oh you doubt my skills? Well just watch me hunt then."

She stalked determinedly over towards where the food was but the effect was ruined when she tripped and landed on her knees right in front of the cooler. Emmett tried to hold back his laughter as she stood up and wiped the sand from her knees and glared at him.

"I meant to do that."

There was no containing his laughter then.

* * *

After we ate we all sat around and talked as the sun set over the ocean. I had never seen it before and found myself rather in awe of the sight. The colors were beautiful and as the sun sank below the horizon the water seemed to glow red.

Dark settled in quickly then and Bella and I cuddled up together under a blanket to keep warm. We might have been able to be warmer but I would not get any closer to the fire. Bella had asked me if I wanted to move when she saw me shiver a bit but I shook my head so vehemently that she merely looked at me inquisitively before shrugging and moving closer to me under the blanket.

We were sitting wrapped in each others arms when I heard that same wolf whistle again. I looked up to see Jacob and his two friends walking into the light spread by the fire.

"Yo Bella! We made it." Jacob called.

"Hey guys. Emmett, Jasper this is Jake, Quil and Embry." Bella said, pointing to each one. "Guys, this is Emmett and Jasper, Edward's brother and their family friend." They all gave each other the typical guy head nod and everyone settled back into their conversations.

Quil and Embry heard Emmett and Jasper talking about football and quickly joined into discussion with them while Jacob came over to where Bella and I were sitting. He stood there looking down at us for a moment before plopping down on the log next to Bella. I still sat with my arm around Bella and could feel the shift in air as he tried to stealthily scoot closer to her. Finally he was sitting as close to her as he could without actually touching her, though there was only about an inch of space between them. I tightened my grip on Bella's waist and she looked up at me. The expression on her face told me that she knew what was going on and then she winked up at me. She stood up abruptly and moved over to sit on my lap facing towards Jacob. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she hooked one arm around my neck, the other resting on my waist.

Jacob looked startled for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

"What's up Bella? Do I smell or something?" He asked sullenly.

Bella just smiled. "No Jake, but sitting next to you is like sitting next to the sun. You give off a ton of body heat and between you and the fire I was sweltering. Edward is the perfect temperature for me."

"So I'm hotter than your _boyfriend_?" He smirked.

Bella snorted. "Yeah. Riight." She said, rolling her eyes.

I could see Jacob bristle at her tone but he said nothing, just looking away into the fire with a pout on his face.

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You are murder on that boy's self esteem."

"I don't _want_ to hurt his feelings but he won't take a hint." She whispered back. "Besides, you are _way_ hotter than him any day."

Amazingly I felt my ears and cheeks burning when she said this. I could not believe it but I was actually blushing. Bella noticed and kissed me on the cheek.

"You are too adorable." She said. "Now you know how it feels." She said before giggling. I growled playfully at her and started tickling her, making her laugh louder.

I was vaguely aware of Jacob getting up and stomping over towards his friends.

"Okay! Okay!" She said, choking on a laugh. "Enough! I give up!" I stopped tickling her and she rested her head on my shoulder as she regained her breath.

"Yo Edward!" Emmett called. "You still got that other blanket in the car? Rose and Alice are a little cold over here with you guys hogging all the blankets way over there. You _can_ join the rest of us you know."

"But if he sits close to the fire there is no reason for him to have Bella wrapped around him keeping him warm, now is there?" Rose smirked.

I had other reasons for keeping my distance from the fire but I just shrugged and laughed with everyone else.

"I think I left it in the trunk, Emmett. I'll go get it." I said. I lifted Bella up off of my lap and kissed her on the forehead before turning and walking towards where we had parked.

I quickly retrieved the blanket that I kept there for emergencies and was walking back towards the glow of the bonfire when I heard a high pitched squeal. Instinct caused me to break out into a run but as soon as everyone came into view I stopped, completely frozen. Jacob was holding Bella in his arms, looking like he was going to drop her in the fire. My heart clenched, came to a complete halt and then started again at double speed. I took off running towards the fire.

* * *

Bella's POV

I could not believe how much a jerk Jake was being towards Edward. Yes, I knew Jake had a crush on me but to me that was no call to be rude. Boys. Sometimes they can be so stupid.

When Edward got up I went over to where Rose and Alice were, grateful to be a little closer to the fire. I didn't know why Edward wanted to sit so far away, practically out of the circle of light it gave off, but it seemed to make him a little uncomfortable so I figured I could snuggle up with him for warmth.

"So," I heard Jake say from behind me. I turned and found that he was standing pretty close to me. I wished he would learn the meaning of personal space.

"You and Cullen huh?" He said. "I gotta tell you Bells, I don't like it."

"_You_ don't like it Jake? Since when is it your business?" I retorted.

"I've known you for a while Bella. I feel very _protective_ of you, that's all."

"Um thanks Jake, but I don't need protecting, especially from Edward." I said, shaking my head.

"Well, how well do you really know the guy Bella? He could be a psycho killer or something." He said.

"He is not a psycho Jake! Jeez get a grip!" I spun away, angry, but forgot how completely uncoordinated I was. I tripped and would have fallen into the fire if Jake had not caught me. He gripped me around the waist and before I knew it had swung me up into his arms.

He grinned down at me and laughed. "See, you _do _need me around." He laughed again and tossed me into the air, making me squeal. "Better watch out Bella! My arms are getting tired. I might drop you in the fire!" He took a step closer to the bonfire, acting like he was going to drop me.

"Put me down Jake!" I said, exasperated, just as I heard Edward's voice roar across the night.

"Put her down Jacob or I will end you asshole!"

Edward came charging into the light, fists clenched, eyes wild. He easily plucked me from a stunned Jacob's arms and moved me quickly away from the fire. He turned and stalked towards Jake, grabbing and twisting the front of his shirt.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know what could have happened? Are you stupid? What if you had dropped her? What then? Wouldn't have been funny then would it asshole?" Edward was seething.

Quil and Embry had stood up when Edward had grabbed Jake but a look from Emmett stopped them cold.

Jasper came up and put his hand over Edward's. "Ed, man, you need to calm down. Let go of Jacob."

Edward seemed to regain some semblance of control and untwisted his hand from Jake's shirt. He shook off Jasper's hand and stomped off down the beach without saying a word.

"It's okay guys." I said. "I'll go after him."

I half ran half stumbled down the beach to catch up with Edward. His longer strides could carry him a long distance in a short time and he had a head start. I only hoped that I could reach him before he got too far.

As it turned out I almost stumbled over him. He was sitting about ten feet from the surf, his knees pulled up and his arms wrapped around them, curled in on himself. He seemed to be rocking back and forth. He looked so forlorn, so different from the angry guy who had grabbed Jake that my breath caught in my throat.

"Edward?" I said tentatively. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. He flinched away for a moment and I pulled my hand back.

"Edward, are you okay?" I asked. He stopped rocking and looked up at me. I could not tell if he was really seeing me at all; from what I could see of his face he seemed so _distant_, so completely unaware of where he was. Then suddenly he tensed and his expression changed. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me down into the sand next to him. I landed on my knees, grateful for the softish sand but didn't have time to think beyond that as Edward hauled me into his arms, wrapping himself around me and burying his head in the crook of my neck.

"Edward?"

He shook his head, wordlessly telling me that he could not speak. I could feel him shaking in my arms and was startled by the warm wetness that rolled down my neck.

Edward was crying?

I gripped him tightly, giving him what comfort I could against whatever it was that had him so distressed. I felt tears well in my eyes too as he held me and wept soundlessly. Eventually he pulled back, resting his forehead against mine and sniffling softly.

I reached up and wiped away his tears with my fingers and he took my hand in his and kissed my fingers.

"I'm sorry." He croaked.

"Baby, don't be sorry." I said, putting my hands around his neck. "Just tell me what's the matter."

He stretched his legs out and pulled me onto his lap, tucking my head under his chin and resting his face in my hair.

"I'm sorry." He said again. "I…it's hard to…I mean he was…and you were…and." He stopped helplessly, shaking his head. He took a deep breath.

"Do you remember what I told you about my family? About how they died?" He asked softly, his words barely a whisper.

I thought quickly and gasped when I realized what he was saying. I remembered how he told me when we first met that his parents had died in a fire. Everything about tonight took on a whole new perspective.

"Oh Edward! I am so sorry! I should have realized that the fire would bother you. I am so stupid!" I felt like crying again for putting him through this.

"Shhh, babe, it's okay. It's not your fault. And really I was okay for a while. As long as you were with me I could almost ignore it. Mind over matter I guess. But when I saw Jacob holding you over the fire…it brought back so many memories…and I snapped." I stroked his arm in a comforting way as we sat in silence together for a moment.

"I was there Bella." He said, startling me. "I was there when my parents died. I was there and I didn't do anything to save them."

"Oh Edward. Oh baby I am so sorry. I didn't know." My heart clenched at the sorrow in his voice.

"I was nine." He continued. "I don't remember how it started but I remember it was cold outside. There was snow on the ground but it wasn't time for Christmas so it must have been sometime in November. I was playing with my cars on the rug in the living room when I heard the smoke alarm go off. It scared me and I froze. But my mom and dad were big on safety and we'd had practice drills before. So I did what they taught me. I grabbed my coat and ran outside to our safe spot. When I looked back at the house I could see the flames coming from the second story window. I knew my mom and dad were upstairs but I expected them to come down at any minute. I _knew_ they would. So I watched and waited. And waited. And waited. But they never came outside. The fire trucks came and men broke in the door and I could hear shouting around me but I just kept watching for my parents to come out and tell me that everything was okay. But they never did."

Tears were falling freely down my face. I could picture Edward as a little boy, all gangly limbs and red hair, standing in front of his house, watching for the parents that would never come. Then to be put in foster care because the only people he had in the world that loved him were lost that day; my chest burned and I realized that I was holding my breath to keep from sobbing out loud. I knew instinctively that Edward needed me to be strong for him.

"I should have done something Bella. I should have done _something, anything_, but I didn't. I just stood there as the two most important people in the world to me died." The raw anguish in his voice was killing me.

I leaned out of his embrace and took his face in my hands.

"Edward, there was nothing you could have done. If you had gone back into the house, you would have probably died too. Your parents would have wanted to you to do what you were taught, to go to your safe spot. Above all things they would have wanted you to live. You did that. You're alive. That is what would matter to them. They would not want you to live with a lifetime of regret for something you could not have helped."

"I know that. Really. I know in my head what you are saying is true. But my heart refuses to believe that." He whispered, hanging his head.

I moved so that my knees where on either side of his hips. I sat up straight and wrapped my arms around him, pulling his head to my chest and rocking him back and forth. He held me tightly, almost cutting off my breath but knowing I might be giving him some small comfort made it worth it.

I don't know how long we sat like that. I ran my fingers through his hair over and over again, whispering comforting things to him, telling him how special and wonderful he was. Eventually I could feel some of the tension leave him. He pulled back and lifted his head.

"Do you have any idea how amazing you are Bella? Any idea at all? You are the most amazing, beautiful person. Inside and out." He said. His voice was almost reverent as he spoke and I blushed from the intensity of his voice.

I shook my head at him. "You are the amazing one Edward." I placed my fingers over his mouth when he would have protested. "Truly you are Edward. I have never met anyone like you, ever. I am so glad that you moved to Forks. I would never have met you otherwise."

He smiled softly up at me. "Oh I don't know about that. Somehow I think we would have met, someway somehow. I don't think Fate would have allowed us to be apart forever."

I bent my head and brushed my lips against his. We kissed softly for a moment before Edward pulled back.

"We need to get back to everyone before it gets too late. They have to be wondering what is going on as it is."

I nodded and stood up, brushing the sand off my legs. Edward stood as well and offered me his hand. I grasped it and pulled his hand to my mouth, kissing each one of his fingers. Edward looked down at me with a somewhat awed expression. I used his hand to pull the rest of him to me and wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly.

He held me to him just as tightly and we walked back towards the bonfire.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ok so...yeah. I know that I am completely made of fail right now. I know this, really. I have had this on my computer for a while and kept waffling back and forth about whether to post it. Not because I didn't think it was good enough but more because I didn't think it was long enough. I guess I have this need to give you guys ten pages on Word every time I write something I suppose. But I re-read this with new eyes today and decided that I could leave this chapter where it ended and it would be okay. I hope that you like it.**

**Special thanks to everyone who has waited...and waited...and waited for me to get off of my sorry ass and post. I appreciate all of you so much, you just don't know. Really I do. I kind of have ADD sometimes and I am not happy unless I have sixteen things going at one time. But I am also something of a procrastinator too. Bad combo there, you know. The need to do a hundred things at once and the desire not to do any of them. So thank you so much to everyone who is reading my story and everyone who has reviewed it. You guys are the kick in the ass that I need sometimes to just get it in gear.**

**So, here we go...**

* * *

Bella's POV

We walked back towards the bonfire with our arms wrapped around each other. I felt horrible for what Edward had suffered but was hopeful that he would learn how to let go of the guilt that still surrounded his heart.

We walked into the circle of light spread by the fire and I made sure to keep myself between him and the flames. He seemed more relaxed than before but I did not want to take any chances.

Emmett hailed us as we walked up. "Edward! Dude! You alright man?"

"Yeah Em, I'm fine. I just lost my temper there for a minute." Edward replied. His voice was calm but he tightened his grip on my waist. I squeezed him in return.

"Looked like you wanted blood there for a second." Emmett said, grinning

Edward laughed. "I doubt I would like the taste of Jacob's blood very much Emmett."

Emmett laughed too. "Yeah, probably not."

Rose and Alice came up to me then and Jasper walked over to stand in front of Edward. He released me to walk a little ways away and he and Jasper stood talking quietly. I saw Jasper put his hand on Edward's shoulder and Edward nodded at something Jasper was saying.

Alice wrenched my attention away.

"Bella? Everything okay?" She asked with concern.

I nodded. "Yeah. Edward was upset that's all." I didn't feel free to discuss what Edward had told me. That was his story to tell, not mine.

"That was more than upset Bells." Rosalie added, eyes narrowed. Rose was always very perceptive.

"He is just really concerned about my safety. You know how much of a magnet for danger I am. First James, then Tanya and now Jake." I shook my head ruefully. "Seems like everyone is out to get me. And Edward is the overprotective type too, it seems. Everything is okay, really."

I looked around. "Where did Jake and Quil and Embry go?" I asked.

"Jacob and his friends took off in the opposite direction almost as soon as you guys did. He seemed really mad."

"Damn." I said. Jake was a pretty good guy, despite his annoying crush on me, and I hadn't wanted to upset him. "I guess I'll call in a few days and see if he has cooled off."

"He'll get over it Bella. He shouldn't have been threatening to drop you in the fire. If Edward hadn't come up I was about to step in anyway." Rose said. "He should have known better. Edward was just making sure you didn't get hurt."

"Thanks Rose." Edward said, walking back up to us. She just nodded and they shared a look I could not decipher.

"Are you ready to leave Edward?" I asked. I figured he must be ready to get out of here.

"We can stay if you like." He said casually, but I noticed how his eyes flickered over to the fire after he spoke.

"No, I'm ready to go. Let me just help get everything cleaned up first."

"Already done Bella." Alice chirped. "We took care of it."

"Oh, well great. Thanks guys." I said.

"No problem." Rose replied.

"Well we'll just go then. Talk to you guys later." I said, turning towards Edward.

He reached out to me but Alice stepped up to him before I could grab his hand. She hugged him tightly for a moment before pulling his head down and whispering in his ear. Whatever she said made Edward chuckle for a moment before he looked her in the eyes and nodded solemnly. She squeezed him again quickly before stepping away and walking over to Jasper. Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her temple. We waved goodbye to everyone as we made out way up the beach.

Edward and I walked over to his car and he held my door open for me before moving to the trunk to put the blankets in. He got in the car and we headed back towards my house.

"So what did Alice say to you?" I asked when I could no longer contain my curiosity.

He chuckled. "She said, quote, 'You are a really great guy Edward and I am really going to enjoy being your kind of sister-in-law. Jacob is a jerk but I'm telling you now that Bella is a very special person and if _you_ hurt her I will kill you.', unquote."

I felt my cheeks burn. "Sorry about that. My friends tend to be really protective of me. I think it's the clumsiness. My not being able to walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over seems to bring out that instinct in them."

"That is probably true but I think it is more than that. You seem so delicate, so fragile sometimes and I think we all just want to watch out for you." He replied.

I grimaced. That was not the impression I wanted to give off.

Edward glanced over and saw my expression.

"Does that upset you? That people view you that way?"

"Yeah it kinda does. I have never thought of myself as fragile or delicate. The sheer number of times I have fallen down and gotten back up should be proof that I am not _that_ breakable." I said with a weak chuckle. "Really though, I feel like I am a pretty strong person, at least on the inside. I'm not spineless or easily led. I like to think that I am capable of thinking before acting and I stand up for the things I believe in. What I look like on the outside and who I am on the inside are very different I suppose." I looked over at Edward and he was nodding in agreement.

"For the record I know that you are a strong person. I have seen proof enough of that already. I don't want you to think _I_ think you are weak. I know that's not true. There is just something about you that makes people care _about_ you and want to take care _of_ you. Though it seems like you are the one who ultimately ends up taking care of everyone around you. Tonight especially." He said the last part softly.

"Well I hate to see anyone upset; it really bothers me. But seeing _you_ so upset just about killed me. I want to do whatever I can to make you feel better." I said softly.

He reached over and took my hand.

"You _are_ making me feel better, just by being here with me."

I smiled at him in the dim light of the car and squeezed his hand. He smiled back at me and the rest of the drive was spent in comfortable silence.

Before long we pulled up to my house. Edward got out and opened my door and gave me his hand to help me out. But instead of letting go when I was out of the car he pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

I felt his chest rumble and his lips move against my neck but I could not understand what he said. I asked him to repeat it and he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. Our breath mingled together as he spoke.

"I said thank you. For being there and listening. I appreciate that."

"Anytime." I whispered and felt his smile against my lips as he kissed me.

This kiss felt different from any of our previous ones. We had kissed sweetly, with soft, mostly chaste kisses. We had kissed passionately, our tongues and mouths fighting for domination. We had kissed hello or goodbye dozens of times. But this kiss felt special, with a deeper meaning than before. Something had shifted in our relationship, I could feel it. It was as though my heart was suddenly beating with a different rhythm. As if the tempo of my heart had changed to match his.

Edward broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine for a moment to steady his ragged breathing. When he pulled his head back and rested his large hand on the curve of my cheek I could see the change in his eyes too. His sparkling eyes searched mine and he must have found what he was looking for because he bent to kiss me again.

After he pulled away he wrapped me in his arms and held me for a long moment. His voice was husky when he spoke.

"You should get inside. It's getting late and I don't want you to catch a cold standing out here with me."

"You're warm enough for the both of us. Besides, I don't wanna go inside." I pouted.

Edward chuckled. "Nevertheless, you should get in there. Your parents like me now but keeping you out in the cold and letting you get sick will not keep me in their good graces."

He pulled back and steered me by my shoulders toward the house. He walked behind me, gently rubbing my shoulders as we walked until we were at my door.

I turned back to him and leaned towards him, reaching up on my toes as far as I could to kiss him but I was not quite tall enough. Edward saw my intent and teasingly leaned back so I could not reach him.

I growled at him and he chuckled at me before leaning down to kiss me again. I gave a contented sigh when he pulled away and he laughed again.

"Everyone got it wrong. They say its music that tames the wild beast. Turns out its kisses." He said, laughter in his voice.

"Your kisses _are_ like music." I blurted and he laughed. I blushed. "That sounded a whole lot less cheesy in my head."

"I doubt that."

I smacked him on his chest. "Alright, enough laughing at my expense. Kiss me goodbye already."

"I like a woman who knows what she wants." He said, his voice still laced with humor. He bent his head and gave me a soft sweet kiss.

"Goodnight Bella."

"Goodnight Edward."

I went inside and turned to hold the door open, watching Edward walk back towards his car. When he got to the driver's side he turned and waved at me before getting inside and driving away.

I shut the door and leaned back against it. So much had happened tonight and I needed a minute to decompress. I thought about Edward's revelation and the kiss we had shared and what this strange feeling in my chest meant. I felt like I was riding a wave of emotion but I wasn't even sure what the emotion was. I sighed and pushed off the door, walking into the kitchen. Renee was sitting at the table, reading and drinking a cup of tea. She looked up when I walked in. Just the person I needed to see.

"Hey kiddo. How was the bonfire?" She asked.

"Uh, good. Interesting." I said, sitting down in one of the chairs.

Renee noticed something was up right away. "Alright, spill. What's wrong?" She asked.

I gave a deep sigh.

"Uh-oh." She said, eyeing me warily. "Do I need the Mom Hat or the Friend Hat?"

"Um, both maybe?"

"Ok duly donned. Now tell me what's up." She folded her hands in front of her on the table and waited.

"Mom, how do you know if you are in love?" I asked hesitantly.

Renee's expression instantly softened and her eyes were warm and loving when she looked at me.

"Aww baby. Love is something that no one can tell you about. You can only feel it."

"But how do I know if what I am feeling is real? If its love or infatuation or…or…indigestion?" I asked bitterly.

Renee laughed. "Honey, I'm pretty sure its not indigestion. Seriously though, love is different for everyone."

She must have read the look in my eyes because she continued on.

"When I met Phil it was like having champagne for the first time. Everything about him was exciting. He made _me_ feel exciting. Whenever I was around him I felt breathless. I swear I was worried I was coming down with asthma. It felt like my heart expanded in my chest and felt like it would explode when he was near me or when he kissed me or even smiled at me. He was all I ever thought about morning, noon and night. It felt like the world was brand new when I was with him, like I had just opened my eyes for the first time and was really seeing things clearly." She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. I reached out and took her hand and she squeezed it tightly before going on.

"Now with Charlie it's different. The same but different. If Phil was champagne then Charlie is like hot chocolate on a cold winter night. Sweet and comforting and warming you in places you didn't even know were cold to begin with. With Phil everything was so fast paced and it was like being in a tornado. Everything went by so fast you wondered where the time went but it didn't matter because you were together. With Charlie it's like being in the eye of a hurricane. Calm and serene, even with everything going crazy around you. He grounds me, gives me a sort of stillness so I can enjoy the life that is going on around me. The love that I have for Charlie I feel in every bit of me, all the way down to my toes. He makes me feel safe and happy and exciting and young all at the same time. The way I feel for him and the way I felt for Phil is very different, not more or less love, just a different love. Do you understand?"

I took a deep breath. "I think so. I just don't know where I am with how I feel about Edward. I mean he makes me feel exciting and grounded at the same time. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, you know? Scared to jump but excited at the same time. He makes me feel like I _want_ to jump but I don't know if he will be there to catch me at the bottom."

"You never know unless you take the leap baby girl. It is such a cliché I know but love _is_ a leap. And whether he catches you or you crash on the rocks, at least you jumped. You took the chance on being happy. You _lived_. That is the most important thing. Like Phil used to say, 'Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.'".

I nodded. "I guess your right. I just need to think about it a little more. Decide if I _am_ in love before I get too close to the edge." I smiled softly at her.

Renee got up and walked around the table, moving to hug me from behind. "You'll figure it out sweetie. You're a smart girl. And when you are really in love you will know, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. But remember to remain who you are on the inside. Loving someone is being yourself, just with another person."

I turned my head to look at her skeptically. "Did you just quote The Princess Diaries to me?"

She let me go and laughed, coming around to lean on the table in front of me. "A good mom finds her wisdom where she can."

I stood up and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you so much Mom."

"Oh baby." She sniffled. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Mom. I'm so glad you found me." Tears welled up in my eyes.

Renee pulled back and wiped the tears from my eyes before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. She pulled me back into her arms, rocking me gently.

"Me too sweetie, me too."

* * *

Edward's POV

God, what a night, I thought to myself as I drove away from Bella's house. All this shit going on was way too stressful by half. The James thing and the Jacob thing were pissing me off. Then the fire thing too. Dammit.

I still could not believe that I had unloaded all that shit on Bella tonight. It was certainly not my intention to tell her this early in our relationship, if ever. But it all came pouring out of me before I could stop it. Bella of course acted like, well…Bella. Just how I would have and should have expected her to act. She wasn't one to judge and that was just one of the things I loved about her.

Love? The word hit me like a lightning bolt. Was I in love with her? A kaleidoscope of images and feelings swirled through me. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes. The way she seemed to understand me even when I sometimes didn't understand myself, the way she seemed to calm me and comfort me, even when things seemed out of control in my head. Was this what love was? The need to be around someone all the time? Wanting to be a better person, a stronger person for someone? This overpowering urge to protect and shelter? Wanting to see them laugh and smile because their happiness made you happy? My knowledge of love was limited at best, based only on what I had seen in movies or read in books. But the reality of it was different. How did you _know_ you were in love? And if you had to ask yourself if you _were _in love, did that mean you weren't? Was this what this aching in my chest was? Love? I didn't know. Jesus this emotional shit was hard. How did chicks do this all the time?

I was glad that I had the way to my house programmed in my head because I didn't even remember the drive. I shut off the engine and sat in the car for a few minutes after I pulled into the garage. Leaning my head back against the headrest I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head before going inside.

The opening of the car door surprised me and without moving my head I opened one eye to see who it was. Jasper slid into the seat and shut the door behind him. I turned my head to look at him as he sat watching me.

"What's up Jazz?" I asked wearily. I really didn't feel like getting the third degree tonight.

"Good question." He replied. "The same one that I was going to ask you as a matter of fact." He smiled.

"Not much going on here." I lied.

Jasper barked out a laugh. "Yeah, and I'm a fairy princess." He scoffed.

"Where do you hide your wand I wonder?" I laughed as an image of Jasper in tights and a tutu filled my head.

"Do you really want to talk about my _wand_ Ed?" He smirked.

"Ughh, no Jazz, just…no." I said disgusted. He burst out laughing.

"I thought not. I don't either. I want to talk about what's up with you. You have been on edge all night. And don't tell me it's this whole shit with James because it is more than that. What happened tonight at La Push?"

"You saw what happened Jazz."

"What I saw was you flipping the fuck out. And it wasn't just because Jacob was touching your girl."

I sighed. I did not want to have to tell the story again. I decided to give him the abridged version.

"My parents died in a fire and I was there. So I have this thing about fire. Okay?" I said the last part a little belligerently. I suddenly felt drained.

Jazz raised his hands in a placating way. "Sorry man, I didn't know."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's not something I talk about very often. All the stress this week just got to me and I snapped. I'm usually a lot better about suppressing it. And you are right, Jacob putting his hands on Bella did piss me off. It was the last straw in one shitty week."

"I get that." He said, nodding sagely. "If I saw someone touching Alice and putting her in danger, even if the danger wasn't real, I would probably go off too."

"Still, I should be able to control myself better. He is just a kid, really. The rational part of me knew he wouldn't hurt her." I conceded. It was true. I knew in my head that Jacob had only been showing off, more evidence of his crush on Bella.

"When it comes to girls I don't think any guy is rational. They make you completely insane, though in a good way I suppose." He snorted softly, shaking his head.

"Yeah. I guess if you are going to go crazy, that is the best way to go." I looked at him and he had a small smile on his face and a faraway look in his eyes. "I take it Alice is the cause of your craziness?" I asked, though I knew the answer already.

Jasper turned his head and gave me an intense look.

"I love her."

I felt my eyes widen and my jaw drop a little. He sounded so sure, so confident.

"How do you know?" I asked. How could he be so certain?

He shrugged. "I just do. I don't know how to describe it. How doyou describe any emotion? It's like trying to describe a color to a blind man. I just know it; with every part of me, I just know. I love her."

I shook my head. "But how can you be _sure_?" I asked desperately.

"I just _am_. Look, I know it is crazy. I know it seems like there is no way I can love her after so short a time. But when I am with her it is like everything in my world is _right_. Like I came alive when I met her and this is the real start of my life."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Are you in love with Bella?" He asked bluntly.

"I don't know. I have never been in love before. I have no idea what the hell I am feeling right now. I want to be around her every minute of the day. When I have to be away from her it feels like I am leaving a huge part of myself behind. I have this crazy need to protect and shield her from everything. Sometimes when I look at her I feel like I can't breathe and I want to do everything in my power to make her happy, to make her smile. It's like I am not _me_ without _her_." I sighed and rested my head on the headrest again.

"Yeah that about sums it up right there Edward. You _are_ in love with her. You just have to be strong enough to admit it to yourself."

I turned my head and looked into Jasper's smiling face.

"Why would I have to admit it to myself? Why wouldn't I just know it, like you do?"

"Because love is some scary shit Ed. Because love is making yourself vulnerable. It's making someone else the center of your life and that person has the power to either build you up or destroy you. It can make you make stupid mistakes that can completely jeopardize your happiness. But it is also amazing. It can make you happier than you ever felt was possible. It can fill you up with so much hope and joy that you feel like you can conquer the world. It can make you a better man because suddenly you want to be everything to someone. It's the one thing that you wait your entire lifetime to feel and that you would do anything to keep."

I looked at Jasper, dumbstruck. Still waters ran deep, I thought.

"Your right." I said. "That sounds pretty scary." I laughed a little.

"It is man, it is. Look, when you are finally able to admit to yourself that you are in love with Bella, you'll understand what I mean when I say I am sure that I love Alice. You'll know. Until then, just be, man. Just relax and enjoy the journey. The destination comes soon enough."

He was right, I thought. I needed to stop thinking so much and just relax.

"Thanks Jazz. I appreciate it."

"Your welcome. So can we go inside now? Before we start braiding each others hair and painting our nails or some shit?"

I laughed as I nodded and got out of the car.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: YAY AN UPDATE! I know! I'm as surprised and excited as you all (hopefully) are. Thanks to everyone that is reading this story and I am so humbled that you are still with me even with my sucky updating. I want you all to know that I appreciate the hell out of each and every one of you. Big smoochie kisses to you all. **

**Ok so here we go...**

Bella

"Bella! Wake up! C'mon Bella! Rise and shine!"

I opened my eyes groggily to see my mother standing next to my bed.

"Mom?" I croaked. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten. You almost slept the whole morning away. But now you have to get up because Charlie and I have a surprise for you! Now come on sleepyhead!" She pulled the quilt off of me and I groaned.

"Mom," I whined, "You know I don't really like surprises." I sat up in bed and brushed the hair out of my eyes before getting up to get some clothes to wear.

"You'll like this one. Now come down as soon as you are ready. Hurry!" She closed the door and I could hear her practically skip down the stairs. Fortunately she did not have my coordination problems.

I shook my head at the unbridled enthusiasm my mother had. She could get excited over the smallest things and I wondered what it was this morning that had her so keyed up.

After throwing on a pair of jeans, a long sleeve top and my Chucks I went downstairs. I walked into the kitchen and straight to the coffee pot. After fixing myself a cup I turned to see my mom and Charlie sitting at the table watching me. My mother was practically vibrating with energy and Charlie had a large smile on his usually taciturn face.

"Okay, so what's this big surprise?" I asked warily.

Renee leapt out of her seat and came over to me. Charlie got more slowly and walked over towards us.

"Alright you have to close your eyes." She giggled with excitement. She reached up and covered my eyes with her hand once I closed them.

"Charlie!" I said in alarm. I reached out blindly for him and grabbed for his arm. My fingers closed around flannel and I held on to him for dear life. "Don't let her run me into a wall or fall over something please! I doubt my surprise is a trip to the Emergency Room."

Charlie chuckled and placed his large calloused hand over the one I had gripping his arm. He led me forward and we walked out of the kitchen. I tried to make sense of where we were going and it felt like we were walking down the hallway to the front door. The fresh air that wafted over me confirmed my suspicions. We walked out onto the front porch and Charlie let go of me. For a moment I clutched his arm but then let him go when I realized that this was as far as we were going.

"Okay Bella, you can look now." Renee said as she pulled her hand from my eyes. I blinked in the sudden daylight and then blinked again at what I saw.

In the driveway as a blue Volkswagen Beetle.

I stared dumbfounded for a moment before looking back at Renee and Charlie. They both looked at me expectantly.

"Wha-what is this? I mean I see it's a car but what…?" I trailed off as my mom laughed.

"It's yours Bella. Charlie and I decided that it was time for you to have your own ride."

"But how…I mean where did you get it?"

"Billy's son Jacob fixes up cars in his spare time as a way to make extra money." Charlie replied. "This one didn't run and someone gave it to the Black's rather than pay to have it hauled off. Jacob retooled the engine and now it runs great. That boy is one hell of a mechanic." I could hear the hint of pride in his voice.

"But…but…how can you afford this?" I stammered. "And what about insurance… and gas money… and maintenance? Won't that be expensive? I mean, I can get a job and pay you back for the car and help pay for the insurance and the gas….but where can I find a job around here? And what about the girls? I mean won't they be mad that I have a car to myself and they have to share? And what about…?" My babbling was cut off by Charlie's large hand over my mouth.

"Hush Bella." He said gruffly. I looked up at him, surprised, and saw him looking down at me with warm eyes. He pulled his hand from my mouth and smiled down at me. "Don't worry about any of that. The car wasn't expensive. Billy cut me a deal because we are old friends and because they got the car for free anyway. You are already on our insurance because the agent said it was mandatory for all licensed drivers in the house to be covered. Jacob can handle any maintenance that has to be done. And this thing can go forever on a tank of gas so we have that covered too."

"But…" I said.

"No." He cut me off. "We did this for you because you deserve it. End of story. We wanted to do something nice for you and you are going to accept it." His voice was stern but his eyes were soft.

I looked back and forth between Renee and Charlie then back at the car. I was stunned and pleased that they would do something like this for me. I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Really? I really get my own car?" I whispered in disbelief. Renee nodded at me and I could see tears in her eyes too. I couldn't help myself. I threw myself first into Renee's arms and then Charlie's, hugging them exuberantly.

"Thank you both so much." I said softly into Charlie's chest. He cleared his throat before gently pushing me back. His eyes were twinkling with affection.

"Your welcome." He said a little gruffly. "Now, do you want to get in and take it for a spin?" He held up a keychain and shook it gently. The keys tinkled together and I grinned up at him.

"Absolutely! Wow! I can't believe this!" I squealed excitedly, snatching the keys out of his hand. He chuckled at me and we walked down to the car. I wanted to run and skip and jump but I knew I would probably break my leg or something. I unlocked the car and slid inside, looking over the dashboard and the gauges, running my fingers over the steering wheel and gliding my hand over the upholstery. My own car. I couldn't believe it. I looked back at Renee and Charlie who were watching me with their arms wrapped around each other and smiling down at me.

"So who's going with me to take this baby for a spin?"

* * *

Edward

Bella called me at ten thirty to remind me about coming over for her self-defense lessons. I assured her that I had not forgotten. I couldn't. Sometimes when I closed my eyes I could still see James with his hand on her and her punching him in the mouth. The former always filled me with rage and the latter always made me smile. I hated that she had to learn to defend herself against all the creeps out there in the world but I was happy that she would know how if the situation ever came up. I wanted to be there to protect her all the time but I knew that just wasn't practical. Knowing how to bring a guy to his knees, even if it meant kicking him in the balls to do it, was always a good thing.

Bella sounded excited on the phone but when I questioned her about it she just giggled and said that I would have to see when I got there. She asked me if Jasper and Emmett still wanted to come and I assured her that they were raring to go. It was the truth. Emmett was excited to see a girl kicking our butts and I knew that Jasper wanted to make sure that Alice knew how to defend herself if the need arose. Jasper had taken a few martial arts classes back home in Chicago and was eager to put some of those moves to the test.

We all piled up in Emmett's Jeep since he didn't want to be seen in my "soccer mom" car. I told him to kiss my ass but climbed up in the back seat anyway. Emmett was blaring some annoying rap song and singing along at the top of his lungs. I laughed to myself, thinking about what Rose would say about him referring to women as "bitches" and "ho's". She would have his nuts in a vice for it, I was sure.

We rumbled up in front of Bella's house a few minutes later and I was a blue Volkswagen in her yard. I wondered who it belonged to since Bella hadn't mentioned anyone but the six of us being there. Rose and Alice pulled up as we were getting out of the Jeep.

The front door of Bella's house swung open and she came out onto the porch. I walked over to her quickly; Emmett and Jasper were saying hello to their girlfriends behind me. I bounded up the steps and pulled Bella into my arms.

"Hello beautiful." I said into her hair. She giggled and looked up at me.

"Hello there yourself, handsome." She was grinning from ear to ear as I bent down to kiss her softly.

"Hey Bella." Alice said from behind me. I turned us both so that we were facing our friends. "Whose car is that?"

Bella grinned again before reaching into the pocket of her jeans to pull out a keychain. She twirled it around her fingers.

"It's mine." She said proudly. "Charlie and Renee gave it to me this morning."

Alice squealed and ran up to hug Bella, practically knocking me down the stairs. She would give the linemen on our football team a run for their money with those moves.

"Oh wow! Really? That's amazing Bella! I am so happy for you. Can I go for a ride?" She asked excitedly.

I looked at Bella as she made the statement that the car was hers. I was happy for her of course but I could not squelch the stab of disappointment that I felt. I had gotten used to driving her to school every day. I relished those short moments when we could be alone together just as Edward and Bella and I was losing out on all that.

But I didn't want to ruin Bella's excitement over her gift so I made sure to tell her how happy I was for her and how much I liked her car. It was true. I _was_ happy that her parents had done this for her. She deserved it wholeheartedly. And the Bug was cute, even if it was something I would never drive.

Bella came up to me while Rose was looking at the engine. She was revving the engine to see how it sounded and Bella stepped up close to me to be heard over the noise.

"Pretty great of Charlie and my mom, don't you think?" She asked, grinning up at me.

I nodded my head. "You totally deserved it baby." I kissed the top of her head and pulled her to me, her back to my chest.

"You're disappointed aren't you?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at me.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I was surprised that she had picked up on it, though I already knew her to be very observant.

"You're disappointed that you can't drive me to school anymore, aren't you?" She repeated with a soft smile on her face.

I shrugged. "Well yeah, but I'll get over it. I really am glad that your parents did this for you though." I stopped for a moment as a thought occurred to me. "Do you think I can still drive you to school, at least every once in a while, just for old time's sake?"

"I'm sure we can come to some arrangement on that."

"Then I'm good." I hugged her to me and she relaxed against my chest.

After everyone had appropriately "ooh'ed" and "ahh'ed" over Bella's new car we all went inside. Charlie seemed happy that he would not have to be a punching bag for today's lesson. Jasper told Charlie that he knew the techniques that he was teaching and Charlie was off the hook completely. He and Renee decided to go out to breakfast since they suddenly had the time free and we made our way to the backyard to teach the girls some new moves. Not _that_ kind. Sheesh.

Emmett volunteered to be the dummy, though of course we told him that it would not be much of a stretch, and Bella showed everyone what she already knew. I could tell that she was self-conscious at first but she soon relaxed when she saw that we were not going to tease her. Alice was eager to learn and even subdued her chronic exuberance in order to pay strict attention to everything Bella was teaching.

When Bella had exhausted her knowledge, Jasper stepped in. He was like a general in front of an army as he taught everyone some basic punches and strikes as well as a few hip tosses and throws. He also told us that the most important thing to do was to keep our heads clear.

"Think your way through a situation and you will live through it." He told us.

We practiced for a couple of hours until he was satisfied that we had everything down.

"Alright." Jasper said finally. "I think you've all got the idea. We can keep practicing every week to make sure you remember it all but I am very proud of you all, especially Bella and Alice. I think you could at least hold your own long enough to get away and be safe."

Alice beamed up at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks for showing us this stuff Jazzy. I feel safer already." She hugged him and Jasper's expression was one of pride and trepidation. I knew that he was happy that she could defend herself if she had to but I also knew, especially after how he told me that he loved her that he very much hoped that she would never have to use anything that she had just learned.

We made our way inside for some lunch and something to drink. Charlie and Renee were not back yet so we decided to sit down and watch a movie. My muscles were a little sore from the workout we had just had and I reached up to rub some of the tension out of my shoulder.

"Want some help with that?" Bella asked, watching me massage my shoulder.

I shrugged. "Sure, if you want."

"C'mere." She waved me over to where she was sitting on the couch. She motioned me to sit on the floor in front of her after giving me a cushion to sit on. She moved so that her knees were on either sides of my shoulders and pulled me back so that my back was flush against the couch. She put her hands on the tops of my shoulders and began to knead my muscles with her hands, using her fingers and thumbs in a rotating arc to work the tension out.

"Oh God. That feels amazing." I moaned, sinking farther into her touch. She giggled and kept up the massage.

"I told you she had magic fingers." Rose said, smirking at the expression on my face.

"You weren't lying." I told her, closing my eyes and tilting my head forward.

"Wait 'til she gets her hands on the rest of you Eddie, you will definitely be moaning then, won't you?" Emmett said leeringly. Bella's hands stiffened suddenly and I looked up at her to see her blushing beet red with a mortified expression on her face. I opened my mouth to speak but a resounding smack echoed in the room. I looked over to see Emmett scowling and rubbing the back of his head and Rosalie with a satisfied expression on her face. She looked over at Bella and smiled.

"Don't mind him Bella. You just carry on." She winked and I felt Bella's hands on my shoulders relax for a moment before she began again. I turned to look at her and reached up to squeeze her hand. She smiled at me and I turned back towards the movie.

Bella kept up the massage and at some point I must have fallen asleep. I woke up to her fingers running through my hair. I looked around and saw that everyone else had left at some point and Bella was lying down on the couch with her head near mine and her hand in my hair.

"Hey sleepy." She said softly. "Have a good nap?"

I stretched my arms up above my head and was relieved to find that all the tension was gone. "Yeah I guess I did. Sorry I fell asleep though." I turned to give her a sheepish grin.

"Don't worry about it. You are not the first one to fall asleep when I use my "magic fingers". She said smiling.

I felt a sudden surge of jealousy at the thought of her touching someone other than me, especially if that someone was a guy. I really, really didn't like that idea. Somehow I managed to keep my straight face when I looked at her though.

"Does that happen a lot then?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shrugged. "Sure, Rose and Alice usually conk out the moment I start."

"Are they the only ones you practice on?" I asked hesitantly.

"No." I felt my muscles tense for a moment until she continued. "Sometimes my mom's shoulders hurt when she gets home, you know, after lugging around boxes of books all day."

I slowly let out the breath that I had been holding, not wanting her to see how relieved I was. I looked around and saw that we were the only ones in the living room. I noticed for the first time how quiet the house was.

"Where is everyone?"

"Well, the movie was over about thirty minutes ago and everyone left right after. Mom and Charlie texted me to let me know that they were driving to Port Angeles to do some shopping. I don't know where the girls are; I haven't seen them all day."

"Sooo we have the whole house to ourselves then?"

"Yep."

"You know what that means then don't you?" I looked at her with a mischievous smirk as I slowly rose to my knees and turned to face where she still lay down on the couch.

"What?" She said warily, watching my every move.

"That no one will hear you scream." I said. Then I pounced on her.

* * *

Bella

I screamed as Edward lunged at me, and then quickly burst into hysterical laughter as he tickled me unmercifully. I tried to get up off the couch but he was too quick for me. He jumped up on the couch, covering my body with his as his hands continued their assault on my rib cage. I was laughing uncontrollably as I tried to catch his hands but he was too quick for me. Every time I thought I had a hold of one of his hands the other would find a new spot to tickle. I reached to grab his right hand but he moved it out of the way, only to have it land firmly on my left breast. All the air rushed out of me as I stilled completely. Edward stopped too, his attention suddenly on his hand. He stared down at it for a moment before his eyes locked with mine.

Suddenly he leapt back, sitting back on his haunches as he looked down at me.

"Shit Bella! I'm sorry. I didn't mean…that is…I didn't intend to…shit!" He raked his hand through his hair, making it stand up even more on end as he looked away and huffed out a breath.

I struggled to sit up right and mimicked his posture, sitting back on my legs facing him. Our knees touched as I reached up and turned his face towards mine. He looked down, not meeting my eyes. I ducked my head to make eye contact.

"Hey." I said softly. He still would not look at me. "Hey Edward. It's okay."

His eyes flew to mine, contrite.

"Really it is. I'm not mad. I know you didn't mean to."

"I'm really sorry Bella."

I smiled at him softly. "Don't be. I…uh…kinda liked it." I said, blushing beet red. I looked down and chewed on my lip.

I felt rather than saw his hand reach up and gently pull my lip from my teeth. I looked up at him and he was looking at me uncertainly.

"You…you did?" He asked softly.

"Um…yeah. It felt…nice." I closed my eyes in embarrassment.

"Really?" He asked and I opened my eyes to see him searching my face, trying to see if I was telling the truth. I realized that he was as uncertain as I was and I wanted to soothe him. I realized what I needed to do to make him believe me.

I reached down and took one of his large hands in mine. I pulled it up and placed it over my left breast again, squeezing his fingers around it. He gasped but did not pull his hand away.

"Really."

He was looking down at where is hand rested and he flexed his fingers experimentally. I closed my eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze. I looked into his eyes and saw the emerald had darkened, making his eyes look almost black. I realized that I was seeing lust in his eyes and it made me catch my breath softly.

He heard my intake of breath and narrowed his eyes before leaning forward suddenly to capture my lips with his. His right hand stayed on my breast and the other reached up around my neck to pull me forward into his kiss. His kiss was passionate but restrained, if that makes any sense. He gently began to knead my breast as he deepened the kiss.

I felt as though my heart was going to leap out of my chest at all the new sensations I was feeling. I felt schizophrenic for a moment as I tried to process all the new feelings I was having. My lips tingled from where he was kissing me and his hand on my neck was hot as he gently ran his fingers up and down the nape of my neck. His hand on my breast continued to move and I felt my nipple getting hard under his hand. I gasped in his mouth as his thumb gently brushed over it.

He pulled back from the kiss to look at me but I reached both arms up around his neck and pulled him back to me. He kissed me harder than before, gently pushing us forward to lie back on the couch. His hand never moved and the sensations he was creating on my breast shot straight down, deep into my stomach. I felt my stomach muscles clench and I kissed him harder, semi-drunk on all the feelings he was creating in me.

I arched my back when his other hand came out of my hair and landed on my other breast, doubling the intensity of what I was feeling. I pulled him down on me, wanting more contact with his body and he kind of fell into me. That is when I felt it. _Him_. I could _feel_ how much he was enjoying it by the hardness that was suddenly pressed into my stomach. I thought I would be embarrassed to feel how _hard_ he was but it only spurned me on. I gasped against him and lifted my hips to his.

Edward froze for a moment before pulling out of our deep kiss. He kissed me more softly for a moment before pulling away from my mouth completely, resting his forehead against mine. We were both breathing deeply and his breath washed across my face. His hand moved from on top of my breast over to the side and his thumb gently rubbed up and down the side of it. Slowly, he pushed himself up off of me and sat back on his legs, looking down at me.

I wondered for a moment what I must look like, sprawled out on the couch, my hair probably going in every different direction, but decided it didn't matter. I looked up at him and couldn't help the grin that overtook my face. Edward grinned back at me and grabbed my hand, pulling me up and into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me to him, his head nestled in the crook of my neck. He held me to him for a moment before pulling back and looking into my face.

"Was that…I mean…are you…okay? You know…was that alright?" He looked as though his entire life rested on my answer so I nodded my head and tilted my head to gently kiss him on the lips.

"Better than alright." I smiled at him. Then a thought stuck me. "Was that…you know…okay? I mean…did you enjoy that?" I asked uncertainly. I was not experienced with guys and I didn't know if he was feeling all the amazing things I was.

He groaned and buried his head in my neck again. "Of course I did." His voice was muffled against my hair. "I mean you could _feel_ how much I enjoyed it. I just don't want to push you, you know?" He pulled back to look at my face. "You are too important to me to go rushing into things."

I smiled at him, feeling my heart swell in my chest. I loved how he was trying to take care of me, not pushing me into something we both knew I was not ready for.

"You are important to me too." I grinned up at him mischievously. "Though I wouldn't mind doing that again sometime."

He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair again. "_Bella!_ God, you can't _say _those things to me or else I'll _never_ be able to control myself." He laughed softly and pulled me in for another kiss. "Although, I wouldn't mind doing that again either."

It was my turn to groan then.

Edward left about thirty minutes later but not before kissing me some more and giving me a hard squeeze at the door, telling me he would call me later that night. I closed the door and leaned against it, trying to get my emotions in order before Mom and Charlie came home. I think I was still in shock a little over what had just happened with me and Edward but I was telling him the truth when I told him I wanted to do it again sometime. I was amazed at all the sensations I had felt. Things I didn't even know my body _could_ feel. I went up to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, cooling my flushed cheeks. I brushed my hair to tame the mess Edward had made with his hands and went to my room to read.

My parents came home about ten minutes later and I went into the kitchen to talk to them. They had spent the day wandering around Port Angeles and seemed very relaxed and happy. I wondered briefly if they could tell what I had been up to but they seemed oblivious. I was glad. I would have been mortified if they had been able to figure out I had just had a hot make out session on the couch.

They asked me how training went and I described to them the things that Jasper had taught us. Charlie seemed impressed.

The girls came home about an hour later and I went up to my room until dinner. I was feeling pretty blissed out and I didn't want to have that feeling ruined by the sour looks they were sure to send me. My mom called us to dinner about an hour later and we all sat at the table, talking about inconsequential things.

Afterward I went upstairs to my room to do what little homework I had and then to read. Edward called me like he said he would and we talked for over an hour. It may have been my imagination but it seemed to me like everything we said had a warmer, more sexual undertone to it. Just my hormones I decided. I was still pretty ramped up on them and that had to be what had me hearing innuendos in even the simplest things. We hang up after saying our soft goodnights to each other and I lay back on the bed and sighed. What a day.

As I lay there I suddenly felt a chill run over my body. It felt like every hair on my body stood up at one time and I rubbed my arms up and down with my hands to banish the strange feeling. I sat up on my bed and looked around but there was nothing out of place. I looked over to my window and out into the night. The curtains were open and the window was cracked slightly. I could see the tree outside my window swaying. It was raining so it didn't surprise me but I went over and looked out anyway. I couldn't see anything in the downpour. I shivered for a moment before closing the window firmly. Even though my bedroom was on the second floor I suddenly didn't feel safe not having a lock on my window, which was weird because it had never bothered me before. I felt like I was becoming paranoid but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. I looked around my room and when my eyes landed on a spare hairbrush, an idea I had seen in a movie came back to me.

I grabbed the brush and jammed the handle into the gap between the window and the casing, wedging it in with all my strength. I then tried to open the window and it wouldn't budge. I nodded, satisfied with my handiwork. I felt a lot safer then and the weird chill I had felt melted away. I closed my curtains tightly and got ready for bed. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I felt my eyes drooping. I climbed into bed and fell asleep, dreaming of Edward.


End file.
